Venezuela: How China and Russia Played the Long Game episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 5, 2026 · 14 MIN

Venezuela: How China and Russia Played the Long Game

from The Middle Ground Mic · host Joe

China and Russia didn’t need an invasion to expand influence in the Western Hemisphere — they used debt, intelligence networks, surveillance technology, and state collapse instead.In this episode of The Middle Ground Mic, we break down how Venezuela became the testing ground for Chinese and Russian leverage, why former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal matters, and how narco-finance, foreign intelligence cooperation, and digital authoritarianism reshaped the region.This isn’t left vs right.It’s systems vs reality.Chapters:00:00 The Hidden Threats in Our Hemisphere03:10 The Role of Hugo Carvajal06:05 The Shadow Economy of Venezuela09:07 China and Russia's Strategic Interests12:10 The Consequences of Ignoring Authoritarianism15:05 The Call to Awareness and ActionNo slogans. No party talking points.Just uncomfortable facts and historical context.Support independent, long-form analysis:☕ BuyMeACoffee.com/TMGMNo left. No right. Just forward.Support the show

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 5, 2026

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