The White House Cartel

ByAntonio Gershenson

This editorial by Antonio Gershenson originally appeared in the January 11, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Mexico Solidarity Media, or the Mexico Solidarity Project.

We’ve already seen that it’s impossible to stop the Republican presidential madness. Without laws, without rules, without a shred of common sense or morality, Trump does as he pleases. He has ordered the killing of any person, regardless of age, religion, or economic status. The only thing that matters is trying to hide the blazing sun shining down on him and his genocidal government. The head of the White House has become the head of the world’s largest cartel.

The threats are no longer just threats; they have been carried out with complete impunity, a level of behavior unseen for years. This has been demonstrated by his support for the “Minister of Death,” Benjamin Netanyahu, by creating a criminal organization immune to any law, and by ICE’s persecution of innocent people whose only crime is working and supporting their families.

We are talking about a country that is definitely, and historically has proven to be, a danger to humanity.

The assault on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, although widely predicted, has left us speechless. Well done to the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez. Her inaugural address was a true call for human consistency, dignity, and a return to reason.

Long live PDVSA! Long live the oil workers! These are more than just slogans. They are the heartfelt and genuine demand for what is rightfully theirs. Venezuelan oil belongs to the people of Venezuela. The acting president emphasizes that they owe nothing to the United States. On the contrary, the US has abused the profits generated by Citgo.

Delcy says: “President Trump has a score to settle with; they stole more than 35 billion dollars with Citgo because it’s not just the company’s value, but also the annual dividends it has generated since 2019. Where are they? Where is that money? They stole it! Venezuela owes nothing to any US government. It’s a legitimate claim, although we know that for the immoral Republican government, that doesn’t matter. They openly declare themselves the new pirates of the Caribbean.”

President Rodríguez continued, “The oil doesn’t belong to the United States, the gas doesn’t belong to the United States: they belong to Venezuela.” And they will continue to say it openly: “If you want a barrel, if you want a single molecule of oil or gas, you have to pay for it. There is no other way; neither threats nor extortion nor theft nor looting are the way.” They were wrong, Trump was wrong, and very wrong… Venezuela owes nothing to the United States.

And not only that, President Delcy, with a firm voice, demands a historic apology from the United States and compensation for the lives lost in that country. And let the President not forget, it is the workers and the people in general who defend their resources. We don’t want to imagine Trump, or the despicable Marco Rubio, demanding in-kind payments from Pemex. Demanding quotas, advances, or anything else, as a show of cooperation and non-subordination to that country.

We don’t want to imagine a demand being made on President Sheinbaum to stop sending oil to Cuba, or to dismiss the group of Cuban doctors working under contract and through humanitarian aid in Mexico. “Make America Great Again” is an outdated slogan, since that country’s economic growth has been fueled by hundreds and thousands of acts of piracy. They have been the biggest drug traffickers since they discovered that enormous business.

It’s no secret that their troops were subjected to addiction since World War II, during the multiple invasions of various countries. The high rate of addiction suffered by American soldiers during the Vietnam War is an example of how the US government doesn’t care about its own people. In short, we are talking about a country that is definitely, and historically has proven, a danger to humanity.

US pressure affects us in all areas of production, science, art, and strategic industries, such as nuclear power. We are on high alert due to the current critical situation of our nuclear industry. We will not let our guard down on this issue. It is urgent that the current administration support the development of an industry that has been neglected by all neoliberal governments.

We have stated this on numerous occasions. The Mexican nuclear industry needs greater support from the current government. If we are talking about defending our energy sovereignty, supporting nuclear power will be the best demonstration of consistency. We will address this topic in greater detail in subsequent articles.

  • Clicks

    Our weekly roundup of stories in the English and Spanish language press including the ever ubiquitous Trump threat, deportations, and Mexico rises for Venezuela and Maduro’s freedom.

  • Limits

    After the latest outrageous act by the head of the White House cartel a strong response from the Mexican government was to be expected. But it didn’t materialize.