Erik Sperling
@ErikSperling
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Executive Director @JustFP. Past: Policy Adviser/Counsel @RepRoKhanna @RepJohnConyers @HouseForeign. JD @GeorgetownLaw LatAm @UWM (Bucks/Pack/Sk8/Snow)
Capitol Hill / Bed-Stuy
Joined January 2018
"Biden officials had put together a blueprint for decimating the Houthis that required a long-term commitment" Biden's @DStroul attacks Trump for ending the Yemen war. A decade of unauthorized US war — costing a million Yemeni lives & billions in taxpayer funds — wasn't enough
“The administration was clearly looking for an off-ramp for this campaign against the Houthis" According to two U.S. officials, the agreement pertains only to U.S. ships. The Houthis are expected to continue firing on Israel The effort under Trump came at great cost:
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Neocons may not like how this turns out: "A U.S. blockade would undermine our ability to criticize a Chinese blockade of Taiwan" "If the U.S. blockades to change political outcomes in Venezuela, China can justify coercive measures against Taiwan on so-called security grounds"
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Neocons may not like how this turns out: "A U.S. blockade would undermine our ability to criticize a Chinese blockade of Taiwan" "If the U.S. blockades to change political outcomes in Venezuela, China can justify coercive measures against Taiwan on so-called security grounds"
While China considers Taiwan its own territory and would be unlikely to lean on international law to justify military action toward the island, ... https://t.co/nyDg2DK8we
@raymondorta
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The role of US sanctions in giving China discounted oil was criticized by @RepMTG in 2022. Her NDAA amendment sought to study the value of China's oil discount, calling the sanctions policy "tantamount to sabotage of the United States economy and theft from working families"
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The role of US sanctions in giving China discounted oil was criticized by @RepMTG in 2022. Her NDAA amendment sought to study the value of China's oil discount, calling the sanctions policy "tantamount to sabotage of the United States economy and theft from working families"
"Who's getting this discounted oil? Guess what, China!" Someone tell @Kilmeade that US sanctions are the sole reason that China gets a discount US could immediately end that discount by lifting sanctions — but that would allow Venezuela's economy to recover and reduce poverty
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"Who's getting this discounted oil? Guess what, China!" Someone tell @Kilmeade that US sanctions are the sole reason that China gets a discount US could immediately end that discount by lifting sanctions — but that would allow Venezuela's economy to recover and reduce poverty
Fox News: US naval blockade will cause "crisis" for Venezuelan civilians They'll "immediately have further crisis — it's already a fragile government system for the Venezuelan people — they're going to feel that pressure even more" "And they're gonna blame Maduro!"
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From starving them, denying them medicines and medical equipment, sending them to torture prisons, and killing them on the seas, the Trump administration seems to love killing and harming Venezuelans and Machado supports it as well
Fox News: US naval blockade will cause "crisis" for Venezuelan civilians They'll "immediately have further crisis — it's already a fragile government system for the Venezuelan people — they're going to feel that pressure even more" "And they're gonna blame Maduro!"
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MAGA 'does not want a land war with Venezuela' "Who is asking for this? I don’t feel a great upswell of MAGA nationalism, saying we have to dislodge Maduro" "If you entered into a regime change conflict, the cost would go up, and the attention and dissent would go up"
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"Trump would like to do far more in Venezuela ... but that's the Constitution" GOP Congressman @WarrenDavidson confirms that @SecRubio privately assured House GOP that Trump "will comply with the War Powers Resolution" — meaning he won't launch unauthorized strikes on Venezuela
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"Trump would like to do far more in Venezuela ... but that's the Constitution" GOP Congressman @WarrenDavidson confirms that @SecRubio privately assured House GOP that Trump "will comply with the War Powers Resolution" — meaning he won't launch unauthorized strikes on Venezuela
To avoid losing the Venezuela War Powers votes in both the House and Senate, Hegseth and Rubio came to Congress to reassure Republicans that Trump does not plan to launch a war against Venezuela. If he does launch a war, Trump knows he would likely lose votes in both chambers.
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The USA should NEVER intentionally try to cause "further crisis" for millions of already suffering civilians Causing indiscriminate mass harm to civilians is collective punishment — a war crime prohibited by international law The US should try to help civilians, not harm them
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The USA should NEVER intentionally try to cause "further crisis" for millions of already suffering civilians Causing indiscriminate mass harm to civilians is collective punishment — a war crime prohibited by international law The US should try to help civilians, not harm them
Fox News: US naval blockade will cause "crisis" for Venezuelan civilians They'll "immediately have further crisis — it's already a fragile government system for the Venezuelan people — they're going to feel that pressure even more" "And they're gonna blame Maduro!"
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If we define “legal” as a country unilaterally deciding what is and isn’t sanctioned, this means China can hijack US ships in international waters because they are selling military tech to Taiwan in violation of Chinese sanctions. By this standard, this would be perfectly “legal”
#Venezuela: to those arguing that the Trump admin's actions are illegal: "all sanctioned tankers." Is the suggestion that the US shouldn't enforce its sanctions regime? Admins of both parties have seized tankers to enforce sanctions. The seizure of the Skipper was completely
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He means make it unbearable for all Venezuelans still living in the country (not the ones sitting in VIP seats at the U.S. Open). This theory of change hasn’t worked in Cuba and it won’t work in Venezuela.
“Venezuelans are massively in favor of maximum pressure on #Maduro for him to leave,” Venezuela’s fmr Planning Minister Ricardo Haudmann told me. So I asked if that maximum pressure includes a US invasion of #Venezuela? Hausmann: “Well, the calculus has to be what will make
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Fox News: US naval blockade will cause "crisis" for Venezuelan civilians They'll "immediately have further crisis — it's already a fragile government system for the Venezuelan people — they're going to feel that pressure even more" "And they're gonna blame Maduro!"
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Fox News: US naval blockade will cause "crisis" for Venezuelan civilians They'll "immediately have further crisis — it's already a fragile government system for the Venezuelan people — they're going to feel that pressure even more" "And they're gonna blame Maduro!"
"Cutting off money will further hurt the already impoverished people of Venezuela. Isn't that a risk?" asks @MargBrennan of @FaceTheNation. Machado effectively says she's okay with causing greater civilian suffering because it's "for the well-being of the Venezuelan people"
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JULIAN ASSANGE FILES CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST NOBEL FOUNDATION OVER “INSTRUMENT OF WAR” PEACE PRIZE WikiLeaks Founder Alleges 2025 Award to María Corina Machado Constitutes Misappropriation, Facilitation of War Crimes Under Swedish Law, Seeks Freeze of 11 million SEK ($1.18
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This is what I voted for!!!
Venezuela's Navy is now escorting ships leaving Venezuela with oil-based exports This may mean that US would have to engage in offensive military action against Venezuelan forces — a clear violation of the War Powers Act & Constitution — in order to enforce the naval blockade
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soooooo strange that people who used to aggressively dismiss the idea that Biden's team could've done more to prevent Russia's invasion have absolutely nothing to say about this story! I'm sure they're getting right around to it!
In the latest edition of "things publicly labelled Kremlin propaganda are quietly acknowledged as reality by Western officials," a former Biden advisor admitted that the Ukraine war started due to NATO expansion. She is not the first, btw:
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In the latest edition of "things publicly labelled Kremlin propaganda are quietly acknowledged as reality by Western officials," a former Biden advisor admitted that the Ukraine war started due to NATO expansion. She is not the first, btw:
New @BMarchetich: Critics of the war were told they were spreading propaganda for saying the war could have been avoided. It turns out they were simply spreading Biden officials' own private thoughts. https://t.co/BH0j8BJCIx
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