Anatoly Kurmanaev

flips the Venezuelan issue from being a struggle over democracy and human rights towards it being a struggle against drugs.

He makes Maduro government part of America's war against drugs.

And this leads to an escalation.

Rubio designates basically Maduro's entire regime as a narco-terrorist cartel.

And he supports sending all this military hardware into the region to threaten Maduro.

And ultimately, this leads to the strikes on the boats of alleged drug traffickers off Venezuela's coast.

That's right, Natalie.

It is accepted that some cocaine ships through Venezuela, that Venezuela is a location for drug smuggling.

But there has not been any convincing evidence that this is a hierarchical, organized endeavor from the top levels of Venezuelan government.

But Rubio knows that this is a compelling political narrative.

And at the same time, Mario Corina Machado...

is pitching an economic reconstruction plan, which in spirit is very similar to the deal that Maduro has been negotiating with Trump earlier this year.

So in effect, Rubio is promising to Trump that he can kill two birds with one stone.

He can...

topple Maduro and proclaim a victory in this fight against drugs and at the same time obtain the same economic deals that Maduro is offering him in return for staying in power.

So Maria Karina has held very consistent views throughout her political career, and she is a firm believer in American-style free market economy.

She is a firm supporter of American businesses, American economic interests.

And she was willing to tailor her message in order to keep Trump on her side.

After Trump came to power, she has stopped talking about the plight of Venezuelan migrants, which was a major element of her election campaign.

She has stayed largely silent when...