Venezuelanalysis Podcast

How are Venezuela and Iran resisting US imperialism? What role does China play in the emerging multipolar world? In this episode of the Venezuelanalysis Podcast, Ricardo Vaz is joined by VA co-editor Lucas Koerner and scholar Matteo Capasso to discuss imperialism, hybrid warfare, sanctions, sovereignty, deterrence, and international anti-imperialist solidarity. Matteo Capasso is Professor at the S...

In Episode 45 of the Venezuelanalysis podcast, Ricardo Vaz speaks with Austin Cole and Michela Martinazzi about international solidarity with Venezuela and the challenges of organizing against imperialism from inside the United States. The discussion covers solidarity efforts with Venezuela, escalating attacks abroad and repression at home, the need to connect struggles for justice domestically an...

Venezuela’s January 2026 hydrocarbons law reform marks a major shift in the country’s oil sector. It establishes a more flexible fiscal regime in the name of “international competitiveness,” while expanding the private sector role in extraction, operations, and dispute resolution mechanisms. The reform follows years of US sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry and coincides with new US licenses all...

The VA Podcast is back. In our Season 3 premiere, we tackle the fallout of the January 3rd military escalation against Caracas, an event that marks a volatile new chapter in the long history of US intervention in the region. Join Venezuelanalysis Chief Editor Ricardo Vaz, Associate Editor Lucas Koerner, and VA Founder Greg Wilpert as they break down the geopolitical shift from "maximum pressur...

In this episode of the Venezuela Analysis Podcast, José Luis Granados Ceja and Andreína Chávez dive into the contentious awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Machado. The show explores her divisive role in Venezuelan politics, alongside Trump's approval of lethal covert CIA activities and the cutting of diplomatic ties. The episode underscores the urgent need to defend Venezuelan sovereignty,...

Host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by fellow VA staff writer Cira Pascual-Marquina as they delve into the escalating US aggressions against Venezuela. This episode explores the recent military actions, including strikes on Venezuelan vessels, and the broader implications for the Bolivarian process. José and Cira provide in-depth analysis on the international response, the role of media narrati...

The US war drums are beating louder with a Caribbean military deployment, but Caracas has responded with defiance and mobilization. In our latest podcast episode, host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by fellow VA member Andreína Chávez Alava to take stock of recent US policies against Venezuela, including dubious "narco-terrorism" charges and a crackdown on migrants.

In this episode, we explore the pivotal role of communes in socialist construction and anti-imperialist struggles, featuring insights from writer Chris Gilbert and fellow VA staff member Cira Pascual Marquina.  Gilbert and Pascual Marquina were guest editors of the latest issue of Monthly Review, "Communes in Socialist Construction." Our discussion delves into the definition and significan...

The recent Israeli war on Iran led to a strong reaction from Venezuela, with the Maduro government standing firm with one of its key international allies and popular movements taking to the streets to express support for Tehran. In this podcast episode, host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by fellow VA member Andreína Chávez Alava to take stock of the Venezuela-Iran alliance, the Maduro governme...

With the Trump administration ramping up its economic attacks against Venezuela, the Venezuelanalysis podcast returns to discuss the measures, their impact, and the efforts to fight back. Host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by fellow VA member Ricardo Vaz in the latest episode. What can we make of "secondary tariffs"? Is Chevron staying or leaving? And allies like Russia and China, what...

"What they're saying is we're going to set your house on fire and we're also going to close all the doors because you cannot leave this hell that we're going to create for you." The US' perverse Venezuela policy is attempting to destroy the country's economy while also denying any opportunity for Venezuelan migrants to escape the very conditions sanctions have creat...

Our latest podcast episode coincides with International Working Women's Day (March 8) to take stock of popular feminist struggles under the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. VA staff member Cira Pascual Marquina joins host José Luis Granados Ceja to discuss the impact of sanctions on women, the role of women in popular power, a recent conservative/religious offensive, and lots more!

The Trump administration has wasted no time in targeting migrants, with a criminalizing discourse and human rights violations galore. In this context, Venezuelans have been specially singled out, with more than 100 sent to Guantánamo. In this podcast episode, VA members José Luis Granados Ceja and Ricardo Vaz took stock of the latest developments, the emerging narratives, and the different moving...

In the latest of episode of the Venezuelanalysis podcast Host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by fellow VA writer Cira Pascual Marquina and Sentido Común's Kurt Hackbarth to discuss what the second Donald Trump presidency has in store for Latin America. We talk about what we can conclude thus far based on these early hectic first weeks, what his mass deportation plans have in store for US re...

In our yearly review, the editorial team from Venezuelanalysis looks at the state of the economy in Venezuela today, including efforts to build a grassroots alternative, as well as the 2024 presidential election and its aftermath. Plus we take a look at what 2025 might have in store for Venezuela and the Bolivarian Process.

The Venezuelanalysis podcast tackles the proverbial million-dollar question everyone is talking about: is the Trump administration about to do a rerun of the "interim government," this time with Edmundo González in place of Juan Guaidó? Host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by fellow VA writer and editor Ricardo Vaz to talk about the different scenarios, sanctions and the economic balanci...

The latest VA podcast episode dives into the recent Congress on Communal Democracy, exploring its history, participants, and its mission to build grassroots alternatives to “liberal democracy.” Host José Luis Granados Ceja, fellow VA member Cira Pascual Marquina and Catalan activist Isa Chacón discuss the limits of current political systems, the power of collective self-determination and autonomy,...

The latest Venezuelanalysis podcast episode catches up on the latest developments from Venezuela on many fronts. Host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by fellow VA writer Andreína Chávez Alava to discuss the recent arrests of foreign nationals and weapons seizures, the XVI BRICS Summit, and new corruption allegations in the Venezuelan oil industry.

With the Venezuelan opposition in disarray following its most recent attempts to take power, the ball is now in Washington's court. Where does the US empire go from here? Venezuelanalysis podcast host José Luis Granados Ceja and editor Ricardo Vaz went over the different scenarios in the latest episode. The conversation also covered the plunder of assets like CITGO, the thirst for Venezuelan r...

The Venezuelan political landscape has seen the farthest-right sectors, led by María Corina Machado, emerge as the leaders of the opposition. But this trend is far from unique to Venezuela. From Argentina to Italy, and with the Gaza genocide as the ugliest exponent, fascism and its violent impact are growing. In the latest VA podcast episode, staff members José Luis Granados Ceja and Cira Pascual...

Following a short hiatus, the Venezuelanalysis Podcast is back with a new format. On-the-ground staff members are set to feature more prominently, with the podcast now published on YouTube and delivered on a more regular basis. In this episode, host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by editor Ricardo Vaz to catch up on the latest from Venezuela: renewed US sanctions, Edmundo González's exile,...

With the Venezuelan presidential elections fast approaching, Venezuelanalysis members José Luis Granados Ceja and Andreína Chávez sat down for a special podcast episode to discuss a range of topics, from imperialist soft power to corporate media propaganda. 

The brutal US-led sanctions campaign has led grassroots socialist organizations to reinvent themselves and come together to survive the conditions created by the economic blockade. In our latest podcast episode, we go deep into communes and the socialist project in Venezuela, discussing the challenges in building a communal economy, political autonomy and lots more. Host José Luis Granados Ceja is...

With the US reimposing oil sanctions, we look at the implications and how grassroots socialist movements hold the key to fighting back.  On today’s episode we talk with Laura Lorenzo about the Pueblo a Pueblo initiative, a grassroots plan for organizing the production, distribution, and consumption of food that directly connects agricultural producers with urban dwellers. Host José Luis Granados C...

The ruling class must establish its hegemony in order to assure its survival, and cultural production is critical to this process, dominance over our cultural lives is indispensable for capitalism to reproduce itself. As Gramsci wrote: “To achieve a revolutionary perspective, the worker must first be freed of the ideological fetters imposed on him by the cultural organizations of the ruling class....