Pedro Mario Burelli

🟦 VENEZOLANOS Y ALIADOS DEMOCRÁTICOS: NO NORMALICEMOS LO ILEGAL Por Pedro Mario Burelli El mandato popular del 28J y el mandato constitucional se dan la mano. La gente votó por el desalojo del chavismo del poder. La usurpación persistente obliga a todos los venezolanos a actuar en consecuencia. Delcy Rodríguez no es legítima porque Donald Trump haya decidido reconocerla. En Venezuela, la legitimidad no emana de la voluntad, acertada o equivocada, de un gobierno extranjero. Emana de la Constitución y del voto. Punto. La contradicción de Washington es flagrante. Tras la captura de Maduro, Marco Rubio afirmó sin ambigüedad que “Maduro no es el presidente de Venezuela” y que su régimen carecía de legitimidad, calificándolo además como estructura criminal vinculada al narcotráfico. Si eso es cierto, entonces todo lo que emana de ese poder ilegítimo es, por definición, nulo. Nombramientos incluidos. Delcy Rodríguez no fue designada por una autoridad legítima. Fue producto de una estructura criminal que usurpaba el Estado. De hecho, Delcy Rodríguez fue y sigue siendo pieza ultra clave del engranaje corrupto que llevó a Venezuela a la ruina. Y ninguna decisión posterior de Washington - reconocimiento diplomático o levantamiento de sanciones - corrige ese origen y esa realidad. No lo limpia. No lo legitima. Quienes hoy firman contratos con el “gobierno” que Washington ha decidido tolerar o vestir de “magnífico” deben entenderlo con claridad: ese gobierno no tiene legitimidad en Venezuela. Tiene utilidad táctica para otros. Nada más. No se equivoquen. La lucha de décadas en Venezuela ha sido contra el autoritarismo, la ilegalidad, la mentira y el crimen. No se derrota ese sistema reciclándolo arbitrariamente con otro nombre ni administrándolo desde afuera. Se está intentando construir estabilidad sobre una base profundamente viciada. Y toda estabilidad fundada sobre la ilegalidad es, por definición, de alto riesgo y efímera. Estamos a tiempo de corregir el rumbo. Pero eso exige algo que hoy escasea: coherencia y voluntad de llamar las cosas por su nombre. Cada día que pasa se amalgaman la corrupción que define al chavismo y el oportunismo que está desatado en Washington. Lo que realmente importa no es quién gobierna Venezuela, ni quién se beneficia materialmente de la enredada situación actual. Es algo mucho más básico: si los venezolanos seguimos siendo dueños de nuestra legitimidad o si ahora también eso se decide de forma inconsulta e improvisada en Washington.

RUBIO’S SEQUENCE ON VENEZUELA WAS ALWAYS WRONG Aboard Air Force One, on the way to Beijing, Marco Rubio told Sean Hannity what any serious Venezuela strategy must eventually confront: “There’s going to have to be a process that’s legitimate… presidency, elections, things of that nature. That moment has to arrive”. He was right. He added that “we don’t want to wait too long.” That was right too. But this is taking too long. And delay has consequences. The regime is being normalized without legitimacy, without the slightest democratic mandate, and without acceptance from Venezuelan society. Not by the Venezuelan people. Not by free elections. Not by serious recovery. But by companies and individuals signing deals that have little to do with the orderly rebuilding of the country and everything to do with taking advantage of the weakness and fear of a criminal regime seeking impunity the old-fashioned way. It’s reasonable to assume that the majority of individuals with unrestricted access to @POTUS are celebrating their financial arrangements with Caracas and pitching the status quo as wonderful. Any strategy for Venezuela that does not place Venezuelans at the center is flawed. Ignoring the will of the people is a huge mistake. Ignoring their legitimate disgust with Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, and the entire machinery of repression and theft is sheer lunacy. For all the talk of stabilization, there is still no real transparency over the oil and gold flows now being managed, tolerated, or enabled by Washington. Who benefits? Where is the money? Meanwhile, some 500 political prisoners remain in jail because Washington misread its leverage or bought the regime’s supporters’ oldest lie: that the alternative to Maduro was and is civil war. This is false. The truth from which honest scenarios should be built is that Venezuelans have fought for 27 years to live in a democracy without resorting to violence. They have organized, voted, marched, negotiated, gone hungry, resisted, and fled. Violence has been the instrument of only one side in this long nightmare: Chavismo. First under Chávez and Maduro. Then under Maduro and the Rodríguez Gómez siblings, Delcy, the “terrific person,” and Jorge, an election-stealing sociopath. You do not build stability by falsifying history or buttressing illegality. There is no way to recover with the type of deal-making we are seeing today, which is all about well-connected people trying to make a quick buck before the rules change. Worse still, some now dress this up as pragmatism and quietly advocate for Delcy Rodríguez as a “long-term” alternative, as if Venezuela’s future should be negotiated around a regime figure who was repudiated in July of 2024 and would be trounced in any truly free and fair election. This significant departure from reason and principle has already demonstrated that Rubio’s sequence was critically flawed. It should never have been stabilization, recovery, transition. It should have been stabilization, transition, recovery. Real stabilization means ending repression, freeing political prisoners, stopping economic theft, and making all flows transparent. How are we doing? Transition is a process with a singular objective: establishing a legitimate elected government that enjoys the support and mandate of its citizens, which is achieved through an election. Only then can real recovery begin. Serious capital requires legitimacy, rule of law, enforceable contracts, credible institutions, and a government Venezuelans and the world can trust. It doesn’t stem from Washington’s decision to recognize those who stole two consecutive elections because it is expedient or because you convinced yourself that the same people who wrecked the country can now be repurposed as the solution. Rubio was right to tell Hannity that moving too fast could have broken things, but moving too slowly is already normalizing the regime that is to blame for all that is broken in Venezuela.

SCOOP via @CBSNews: U.S. is taking steps to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel, in connection with the downing of planes 30 years ago, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The potential indictment — which would need to be approved by a grand jury — is expected to focus on Cuba's deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. @SarahNLynch and me cbsnews.com/news/us-moving…

RUBIO’S SEQUENCE ON VENEZUELA WAS ALWAYS WRONG Aboard Air Force One, on the way to Beijing, Marco Rubio told Sean Hannity what any serious Venezuela strategy must eventually confront: “There’s going to have to be a process that’s legitimate… presidency, elections, things of that nature. That moment has to arrive”. He was right. He added that “we don’t want to wait too long.” That was right too. But this is taking too long. And delay has consequences. The regime is being normalized without legitimacy, without the slightest democratic mandate, and without acceptance from Venezuelan society. Not by the Venezuelan people. Not by free elections. Not by serious recovery. But by companies and individuals signing deals that have little to do with the orderly rebuilding of the country and everything to do with taking advantage of the weakness and fear of a criminal regime seeking impunity the old-fashioned way. It’s reasonable to assume that the majority of individuals with unrestricted access to @POTUS are celebrating their financial arrangements with Caracas and pitching the status quo as wonderful. Any strategy for Venezuela that does not place Venezuelans at the center is flawed. Ignoring the will of the people is a huge mistake. Ignoring their legitimate disgust with Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, and the entire machinery of repression and theft is sheer lunacy. For all the talk of stabilization, there is still no real transparency over the oil and gold flows now being managed, tolerated, or enabled by Washington. Who benefits? Where is the money? Meanwhile, some 500 political prisoners remain in jail because Washington misread its leverage or bought the regime’s supporters’ oldest lie: that the alternative to Maduro was and is civil war. This is false. The truth from which honest scenarios should be built is that Venezuelans have fought for 27 years to live in a democracy without resorting to violence. They have organized, voted, marched, negotiated, gone hungry, resisted, and fled. Violence has been the instrument of only one side in this long nightmare: Chavismo. First under Chávez and Maduro. Then under Maduro and the Rodríguez Gómez siblings, Delcy, the “terrific person,” and Jorge, an election-stealing sociopath. You do not build stability by falsifying history or buttressing illegality. There is no way to recover with the type of deal-making we are seeing today, which is all about well-connected people trying to make a quick buck before the rules change. Worse still, some now dress this up as pragmatism and quietly advocate for Delcy Rodríguez as a “long-term” alternative, as if Venezuela’s future should be negotiated around a regime figure who was repudiated in July of 2024 and would be trounced in any truly free and fair election. This significant departure from reason and principle has already demonstrated that Rubio’s sequence was critically flawed. It should never have been stabilization, recovery, transition. It should have been stabilization, transition, recovery. Real stabilization means ending repression, freeing political prisoners, stopping economic theft, and making all flows transparent. How are we doing? Transition is a process with a singular objective: establishing a legitimate elected government that enjoys the support and mandate of its citizens, which is achieved through an election. Only then can real recovery begin. Serious capital requires legitimacy, rule of law, enforceable contracts, credible institutions, and a government Venezuelans and the world can trust. It doesn’t stem from Washington’s decision to recognize those who stole two consecutive elections because it is expedient or because you convinced yourself that the same people who wrecked the country can now be repurposed as the solution. Rubio was right to tell Hannity that moving too fast could have broken things, but moving too slowly is already normalizing the regime that is to blame for all that is broken in Venezuela.

SECRETARY RUBIO: For the first time in over a decade the wealth of Venezuela is benefitting the people of Venezuela. It is in a better place today than it was four months ago, but it needs to stay on that path.

Y SIGUEN PRESOS LOS PRESOS DE TRUMP Y RUBIO EN VENEZUELA Por Pedro Mario Burelli Han pasado 131 días desde que @realDonaldTrump “tomó a Venezuela en menos de 48 minutos”. Sin embargo, la “magnífica” @delcyrodriguezv sigue teniendo a casi 500 presos políticos en sus mazmorras y a miles más con medidas restrictivas de su libertad. La historia no será generosa con esta absurda situación, que se ve agravada por las empresas e individuos conectados a la Administración en Washington, que buscan y hacen negocios con un régimen absolutamente ilegítimo y detestado por casi la totalidad de los venezolanos. Esta flagrante falta de pudor, ética, empatía y decoro es profundamente preocupante para una nación que alguna vez defendió con valentía a quienes luchaban por la libertad y la democracia. Que lamentable descarrilamiento de un país que se prepara para celebrar 250 años de independencia, democracia y libertad. ¿Algo que decir @SecRubio?

Tenemos el gusto de invitarle al evento Empresas públicas venezolanas: ¿Recuperación o privatización? El panorama de las empresas propiedad del Estado atraviesa una etapa de transformación en 2026: nuevas adscripciones ministeriales, designación de autoridades y ajustes normativos que buscan acelerar procesos de privatización, inciden en la gestión de estos activos. En este encuentro virtual analizaremos qué significan estos cambios, cuáles son sus implicancias para la transparencia, eficiencia, sostenibilidad y los riesgos para la transición, qué estándares de rendición de cuentas y prevención frente a capitales corrosivos debemos exigir. Únete a esta conversación para comprender los desafíos, oportunidades y perspectivas que marcarán el rumbo de las empresas estatales. Día: jueves, 14 de mayo de 2026 Hora: 4:00 pm -Madrid, España 10:00 am -Caracas, Venezuela Por favor, regístrese para el encuentro en el siguiente link: n9.cl/tqr8k Nos vemos pronto.

La reconstrucción del país no comenzará en Miraflores, sino en las escuelas, afirmó María Corina Machado en la presentación en la Universidad de Harvard de su propuesta educativa para Venezuela

Brian, that was very easy. Today, the U.S. is a net exporter of oil (crude and products). Due to logistical and refining issues it continues to buy oil from Canada which is the #1 source of imports. It’s surprising that all this excitement is coming from Venezuelan oil, which Trump used to dismiss and demean. Here are a few, of many, examples: 1. Venezuelan oil is “garbage… horrible… the worst you can get… like tar”
In a June 2023 campaign rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina (and repeated in multiple 2024 appearances), Trump described Venezuelan crude: “Their oil is garbage. It’s horrible. The worst you can get. Tar. It’s like tar.” 2. “We’re buying tar from Venezuela… the dirtiest worst oil probably anywhere in the world”
Trump repeatedly framed U.S. purchases (or potential purchases) of Venezuelan crude this way during 2024 campaign stops, arguing it made no sense environmentally or economically to import “the dirtiest worst oil probably anywhere in the world.” 3. “The U.S. doesn’t need Venezuelan oil at all — we can and should stop buying it.” While @ENERGY produces impeccable volume statistics, we are still waiting for transparent reporting from the U.S. Government on revenues from selling Venezuelan oil, commissions, and other transaction costs. We also need to know the amount of money delivered to the illegal regime in Caracas and how those resources are being used. It’s taking a long time to move from Maduro/Delcy’s total opacity to Trump/Delcy’s minimum transparency. It’s not that difficult to report, and it’s actually quite easy. Why the snail pace? Questions for: @SecRubio @SecScottBessent

Javier, today, the U.S. is a net exporter of oil (crude and products). Due to logistical and refining issues it continues to buy oil from Canada which is the #1 source of imports. It’s surprising that all this excitement is coming from Venezuelan oil, which Trump used to dismiss and demean. Here are a few, of many, examples: 1. Venezuelan oil is “garbage… horrible… the worst you can get… like tar”
In a June 2023 campaign rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina (and repeated in multiple 2024 appearances), Trump described Venezuelan crude: “Their oil is garbage. It’s horrible. The worst you can get. Tar. It’s like tar.” 2. “We’re buying tar from Venezuela… the dirtiest worst oil probably anywhere in the world”
Trump repeatedly framed U.S. purchases (or potential purchases) of Venezuelan crude this way during 2024 campaign stops, arguing it made no sense environmentally or economically to import “the dirtiest worst oil probably anywhere in the world.” 3. “The U.S. doesn’t need Venezuelan oil at all — we can and should stop buying it.” While @ENERGY produces impeccable volume statistics, we are still waiting for transparent reporting from the U.S. Government on revenues from selling Venezuelan oil, commissions, and other transaction costs. We also need to know the amount of money delivered to the illegal regime in Caracas and how those resources are being used. It’s taking a long time to move from Maduro/Delcy’s total opacity to Trump/Delcy’s minimum transparency. It’s not that difficult to report, and it’s actually quite easy. Why the snail pace? Questions for: @SecRubio @SecScottBessent

US imports of Venezuelan crude oil hit a 7 ½ -year high last week, lifting the Latin American country to the 2nd spot in the ranking of top sources of US crude imports, only after Canada.

#2 already. That was fast

Pedro Mario Burelli advierte que Trump y Marco Rubio están legitimando al chavismo mientras ignoran el drama de los presos políticos | Por @ramonhernandezg bitlysdowssl-aws.com/2026/04/burell…

La ranchificación de la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana o FAN(B*), logro de un militar mediocre de mediana graduación llamado Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, se hizo evidente el 3E. Este evento puso de manifiesto el propósito bastardo de los 12 años adicionales de servicio de @vladimirpadrino y la nulidad absoluta de los hermanos Hernández Larez: @dhernandezlarez y @hljohan. Como si la metáfora del rancho no fuera suficiente, hoy un sádico, Gustavo González López, ocupa el cargo de Ministro de la Defensa. Sus méritos acumulados incluyen tortura y asesinato a mansalva, y cuando el miedo se apoderó de él, se arrodilló ante la @CIA pidiendo clemencia, que jamas obtendrá. Los crímenes de lesa humanidad no prescriben y tienen jurisdicción universal. La revolución, supuestamente bolivariana, militarizó el Estado y prostituyó a los militares.

@WhiteHouse NOT FUNNY AT ALL. SOPHOMORIC.

@WhiteHouse This would be amusing if 500 political prisoners weren’t rotting in the putrid jails of Venezuela, with the acquiescence of both @realDonaldTrump and @SecRubio, and the complete silence of @DeputySecState. Grow up, guys! Life isn’t a Saturday Night Live skit.

ICYMI: Vandenberg Flash Focus Episode 62 | Cash for Gold, for Delcy While conversations surrounding the Venezuelan economy understandably center around oil, another critical resource is often overlooked: gold. For years, Venezuelan terrorist groups and regime insiders have exploited the country’s vast gold deposits to finance their illicit activities and evade sanctions. As the American appetite to engage with Venezuela’s oil and gold sectors grows, understanding the extent to which the regime profits from the gold industry—and the severe human rights abuses tied to it—is increasingly important. Cristina Burelli, founder of both SOS Orinoco and the V5 Initiative, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to discuss gold in Venezuela. More from our latest Vandenberg Flash Focus with @cburelli

TODO UN HIJO DE MADURO… Corrupto hasta el tuétano y descarado sin vergüenza.

Ayer tuve una experiencia EXTRAORDINARIA compartiendo con talentosísimos estudiantes de educación en Harvard, con sus profesores e investigadores. Todos están emocionados aportando para construir nuestro plan de TRANSFORMACIÓN de la educación en Venezuela!!! Imagínense, una muchacha de Argentina, junto a uno de Perú, una ex-alumna de la maestría de educación, que es de Indonesia y novia de un venezolano, con tres estudiantes colombianos… Y por supuesto, trabajando con muchísimos venezolanos, dentro y fuera de nuestro país. Todos debatiendo y diseñando las mejores prácticas de la educación en el mundo, las reformas más exitosas, la utilización de la Inteligencia Artificial para individualizar la enseñanza, la elaboración de los currículos para el mundo de hoy -adaptados a Venezuela-, la intensiva formación y mejor remuneración de los maestros, la creación del Instituto Venezolano de Calidad Educativa para garantizar el desempeño de TODAS las escuelas de Venezuela. Nuestra Plan de Educación “TODOS A APRENDER” implica llevar a nuestros niños -A TODOS-, a sus aulas de inmediato! Además, por primera vez en Venezuela, vamos a incorporar los VOUCHERS EDUCATIVOS, para que las familias elijan en cuál escuela -pública, privada, religiosa o comunitaria- quieren que estudien sus hijos. La Familia ELIGE y el Estado GARANTIZA! La Libertad requiere de la educación de los ciudadanos. Y nosotros vamos a educarlos a todos para la Libertad! Gracias a Emiliana Vegas (@EmiVegasV), por su visión, talento, liderazgo y amor por Venezuela, por liderar este increíble equipo, a @Harvard y a todos los estudiantes, maestros e investigadores que lo integran!! Vídeo completo: youtu.be/hfecJhvH4hM?is…

Quienes en el pasado reciente justificaron la reducción de 32 a 20 los Magistrados del TSJ; hoy sin siquiera el más mínimo rubor, propio del que se sabe contradictorio, promulgan una ley donde vuelven a elevar el número a 32, como única respuesta frente a la crisis que genera un país sin justicia… 1. EEUU: Sist Politico Federal; aprox 350 MM de hab, Su más alta Corte: NUEVE (9) Magistrados; 2. Brasil: Sist Político Federal: aprox 214 MM de hab, Su más alto Tribunal o Corte: ONCE (11) Magistrados; 3. Inglaterra: Sist Político Unitario: aprox 60 MM de hab, Su mas alta Corte o Tribunal: DOCE (12) Jueces; 4. Argentina: Sist Político Federal: 46 MM de hab aprox: CINCO (5) Ministros o Magistrados. Creer que el problema de la justicia en Venezuela es solo un asunto cuantitativo y no cualitativo, es grave por las terribles consecuencias que genera para la sociedad…

Venezuela’s new amnesty law falls notably short of ensuring the release of anyone arbitrarily detained for political reasons. What’s worse, its unfair and opaque implementation has further undermined whatever limited promise it held. Read more: hrw.org/news/2026/05/1…