Venezuelan President Maduro has been captured by the U.S. military. (Video screenshot)
[People News] Recently, the international political arena has presented two highly ironic scenarios: on one hand, Venezuelan President Maduro, who once received the highest honors in Zhongnanhai as an 'old friend,' is now confined to a 6-square-meter cell in New York, screaming in the dead of night; on the other hand, Marco Rubio, who has faced sanctions from Beijing twice and is regarded as an 'anti-communist hawk,' is preparing to visit Beijing with great pomp as the U.S. Secretary of State. This political drama is more absurd than a Hollywood film.
Maduro's Life Behind Bars
Since being 'captured' by the U.S. military from his residence on January 3 of this year, this former Venezuelan strongman has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York.
According to the latest reports from Spanish media on March 12, Maduro is currently held in a special cell that measures only 6 square meters, furnished with just a metal bed, a toilet, and a sink. It is reported that he screams in Spanish late at night: 'I am the President of Venezuela! I have been kidnapped!
In the past, Maduro was treated as a guest of honour in Beijing, where the two leaders would refer to each other as brothers and discuss major projects and collaborations. Now, Maduro is allowed to leave his cell only three times a week, for one hour each time, and he is shackled during these outings. By that narrow window, one wonders if he longs for that distant 'friend' in Beijing? However, the reality is harsh; Maduro once challenged Trump, saying, 'Come and catch me,' and now, they have indeed taken action.
While Maduro was 'missing' Xi Jinping in prison, Beijing found itself troubled by another figure - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
'Anti-Communist Hawk' Rubio Becomes a Guest of Honour in Beijing
Who is Rubio? In the eyes of Beijing, he is the most obstinate 'anti-Communist hawk,' having faced sanctions from Beijing twice over issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong. He is the first U.S. Secretary of State to be sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party while in office, which theoretically means he shouldn't even be able to enter China. However, according to internal sources from the South China Morning Post, Rubio is expected to visit Beijing at the end of March alongside Trump for the much-anticipated 'Trump-Xi Meeting.'
This situation puts Beijing in a difficult position. How can they host someone who is on their sanctions list? Interestingly, it has been observed that the Chinese state media have already begun to quietly create an exit strategy for themselves. They changed Rubio's Chinese name from '盧比奧' to '魯比歐,' and this 'technical renaming' is seen as an attempt to alleviate the situation for this sanctioned individual.
Initially, Rubio showed little interest in Beijing's invitation, but he recently decided to go along with Trump's international strategy. For Beijing, while they are dissatisfied with the Trump administration's lack of preparation, having Rubio accompany Trump could actually provide more diplomatic opportunities for high-level communication.
Why does Rubio's visit make Maduro's situation seem even more ironic? Because Rubio was a key player in the effort to capture Maduro in the past. As a hardliner of Cuban descent, Rubio has consistently worked to combat communist dictatorships in Latin America.
As Maduro struggled in a cell that lacked natural light, he likely did not realise that his esteemed old friend was preparing to welcome the 'archenemy' who had personally imprisoned him. The Huawei phone gifted to him by this old friend may have served as a tracker that contributed to his arrest.
Do you think Beijing will concede to Rubio and officially lift the sanctions against him? Or will they continue to engage in wordplay? Meanwhile, far away in New York, aside from shouting in the dead of night and cursing that old friend in Beijing, Maduro can likely only read about this heartbreaking news in the newspapers.
(First published in People News)
△
News magazine bootstrap themes!
I like this themes, fast loading and look profesional
Thank you Carlos!
You're welcome!
Please support me with give positive rating!
Yes Sure!