Image is of thousands of Cubans gathering in 2026 to honor José Martí.
After the Soviet Union fell, in the 1990s, Cuba entered a period (known as the Special Period) of extreme economic pressure, losing almost all of its international trade and fuel imports. Caloric intake almost halved, and electricity was mostly unavailable for much of the day. In response, Cuba undertook Option Zero, in which the country prioritized distributing resources to the most vulnerable, and rationed what little was available as fairly as possible. During this time, the threat of total collapse led to experiments and innovations, and, paradoxically to those on the outside, Cuba’s population came together under pressure, rather than shattering. The collective understanding that their suffering resulted from abroad rather than from internal inefficiencies and corruption meant that Cuba’s government, and thus their sovereignty, survived.
As the American Empire contracts in the wake of multipolarity and can now no longer tolerate sovereignty in the Western Hemisphere, we are seeing a return to the time of the Special Period, with the illegal blockade being dramatically worsened - among other measures, the US is preventing all fuel from entering the island, a strategy made more viable with Venezuela’s fuel exports now restricted. Imperialist supporters are predicting an imminent collapse, after which American mining corporations would descend on Cuba’s massive nickel and cobalt reserves.
While it’s absolutely possible that this time Cuba’s government could collapse, it’s important to note four things: 1) as noted, Cuba has been in a situation like this before and survived; 2) the geopolitical situation is quite different to how it was in the 1990s, with China and other powers increasing in power and influence compared to the USSR’s incompetent final leaders leaving the lane wide open to American exploitation; 3) there has been a concerted effort to transition to renewable energy sources recently, with solar panels being imported from China and making up an increasing amount of the energy supply; and 4) Cuba’s government is taking this threat very seriously, and beginning rationing efforts immediately.
Last week’s thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.
Please check out the RedAtlas!
The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.
The Zionist Entity's Genocide of Palestine
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
Mirrors of Telegram channels that have been erased by Zionist censorship.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Venezuela: National Assembly President Denounces US ‘Diplomatic Blackmail’ and Colonial Roadmap
“He reiterated that while the government is willing to “swallow hard” for the sake of national reconciliation and peace, it would not tolerate a constant threat to its dignity through the denial of its legitimate Chavista leadership.”
“Analysts claim that despite the fabrications in Washington and mainstream media regarding the US controlling Venezuela as a new colony, the chances of new US attacks are very probable, as Chavismo will not tolerate dealing with the US under duress for too long. They also argue that US imperialism is waiting for the right time to attempt to decapitate the Bolivarian Revolution, while the latter is managing tactical retreats to reorganize forces, correct the defense flaws evident during the Jan. 3 US military attacks, and prepare for a long military confrontation against US imperialism.”
“Under this complex reality, many Venezuelans believe their constitutional authorities are working hard to counter any US-promoted artificial civil unrest while improving military preparedness to avoid the mistakes that led to the success of the US military invasion on Jan. 3.”
Article
Caracas - Despite claims that Venezuela and its authorities have become a neo-colonial entity of the United States, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez expressed his rejection last Thursday of the way the newly appointed US ambassador to Venezuela, Laura Dogu, addressed Venezuelan authorities on social media following their meeting at Miraflores Palace last Monday.
During a parliamentary session that approved the first discussion of the Amnesty Law, Jorge Rodriguez vented his sharpest criticism against what he described as a lack of diplomatic rigor and deliberate disrespect from the US government regarding the status of Delcy Rodriguez as the Venezuelan interim head of state.
The controversy stems from a social media post shared by the US Embassy in Caracas after the meeting: “Today I met with Delcy Rodriguez and Jorge Rodriguez to reiterate the three phases that Secretary Rubio has outlined for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery and reconciliation, and transition.”
Dogu also stated that her presence in Caracas represents a “historic moment” for both countries, endorsing the approach the White House has outlined for Venezuela in a clear imperialist tone. “We want a friendly, stable, prosperous, and democratic Venezuela,” she affirmed. “To achieve this, my team and I will work hand in hand with Venezuelans from a variety of sectors and perspectives.”
The diplomat arrived in Caracas last week, echoing the rhetoric of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio following the bloody US military strikes on Jan. 3, which culminated in the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Deputy Cilia Flores. Dogu added that the US intends to implement a three-phase plan: stabilizing the country, recovering its economy, and transitioning to a “friendly” democracy. Analysts noted her tone was pointedly undiplomatic, hinting at an upcoming clash with the Chavista leadership currently in control of Venezuela under constitutional mandates.
During a heartfelt speech referencing his personal history with repressive Venezuelan governments prior to the Bolivarian Revolution—including the torture and later assassination of his father—Rodriguez mentioned an incident where an operator for the government of former president Carlos Andres Perez tried to silence the family’s pain by offering the keys to an apartment. His mother rejected the offer, and he recalled that she referred to the leader simply as “Perez” rather than “President Perez.”
Rodriguez drew a parallel between that historical disrespect and the way the US diplomat referred to Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and himself on social media. “‘Do you think my husband’s life is worth an apartment?’ she said to him. ‘And tell Perez’—perhaps using a stylistic variant similar to that of the recently appointed representative of the US. My mother didn’t call him ‘President Perez’ in the same way the US envoy didn’t call the acting president ‘president’ on social media, as if it were ignominious to use her title. She also called the president of the National Assembly by his name. I appreciate that at least she didn’t change my name, or my sister’s. We are decent and respectful people. She said to him, ‘Tell Perez that my children and I have already forgiven him,'” Rodriguez added, referencing the need for pardon as part of political reconciliation in Venezuela.
Key points of Jorge Rodriguez’s criticism:
• The title omission: Rodriguez expressed deep indignation because Dogu’s official social media communications referred to the siblings by their names only, failing to address Delcy Rodriguez by her formal constitutional title of acting president.
• “Disconnected from reality”: He characterized the omission as an “unjustified and disconnected” act that ignored the country’s institutional reality. He asserted that for the US to negotiate oil and security deals while refusing to use official titles was a form of diplomatic blackmail.
• “Marco Rubio” roadmap: Rodriguez slammed the diplomat for publicly framing the meeting around a “three-phase roadmap” dictated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio (stabilization, recovery, and transition), which he argued treats Venezuela like a colony rather than a sovereign nation.
• Defense of sovereignty: He reiterated that while the government is willing to “swallow hard” for the sake of national reconciliation and peace, it would not tolerate a constant threat to its dignity through the denial of its legitimate Chavista leadership.
Trump and Rubio threats Since the US military attacks on Jan. 3, 2026, which resulted in the kidnapping of President Maduro, both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have issued several direct and veiled threats directed at the Chavista acting authorities, particularly Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello.
Below is an enumeration of the most relevant threats by these US regime officials against the Chavista leadership. Analysts claim this level of aggression is incompatible with the US narrative regarding its alleged control of Venezuela:
• On Jan. 3, the US ruler claimed he was in control of Venezuela: “The US will govern Venezuela until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” The statement was made during a press conference in the White House hours after the US military attacks. • On Jan. 4, Trump threatened the constitutional Venezuelan authorities. “If they don’t behave, we will do a second strike,” he said from Air Force One. • On Jan. 4, Trump directly threatened Acting President Rodriguez: “I just say that she will face a situation probably worse than Maduro.” These statements from Air Force One implied a direct assassination threat. • On Jan. 7, Rubio threatened Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. The top US “diplomat” reported that Cabello “could be at the top of its target list” and “could be next” if he resists US demands, as cited by Reuters. • On Jan. 28, Rubio again threatened Venezuelan authorities. He claimed that the US is “prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail” during a US Senate hearing. • Also on Jan. 28, during the Senate hearing, Rubio issued new threats against Delcy and Jorge Rodriguez: “Just as Nicolas Maduro and his wife were removed, the same could happen to Delcy Rodriguez and possibly her brother, Jorge Rodriguez.”
Crash of trains Analysts claim that despite the fabrications in Washington and mainstream media regarding the US controlling Venezuela as a new colony, the chances of new US attacks are very probable, as Chavismo will not tolerate dealing with the US under duress for too long. They also argue that US imperialism is waiting for the right time to attempt to decapitate the Bolivarian Revolution, while the latter is managing tactical retreats to reorganize forces, correct the defense flaws evident during the Jan. 3 US military attacks, and prepare for a long military confrontation against US imperialism.
Meanwhile, far-right parties in Venezuela attempt to reorganize and have been trying for the last week to revive the student movement. Thus far, experts say these efforts have yielded no tangible results, especially after Acting President Rodriguez neutralized one of these alleged student leaders while visiting the Central University of Venezuela on Jan. 27.
Under this complex reality, many Venezuelans believe their constitutional authorities are working hard to counter any US-promoted artificial civil unrest while improving military preparedness to avoid the mistakes that led to the success of the US military invasion on Jan. 3.