Venezuela Below the Surface: Russia, Cuba, Iran, China Connections

In early January 2026, a dramatic geopolitical rupture reshaped the Western Hemisphere when Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was removed from power in a U.S. military action, injecting new uncertainty into an already volatile Caribbean Basin. Against this backdrop, Ilya Ponomarev (Russia), Frank Calzón (Cuba), and Daniel Di Martino (Venezuela) examine whether Venezuela can continue to function as a critical gateway for Russian, Chinese, Iranian, and Cuban influence close to U.S. shores.

Moderated by former Czech Ambassador to the United States Martin Palouš, with special insight from Honorable. Don Ritter, the discussion places Venezuela within a longer historical arc of Soviet and Russian engagement with Communist Cuba - extending into Venezuela - to promote anti-American activities across Latin America. Panelists explore how Moscow and Beijing, often working through Cuban intelligence networks and regional proxies, have leveraged energy interests, intelligence cooperation, electronic surveillance, arms trafficking, and sanctioned oil flows to undermine U.S. security, reshape regional dynamics, and challenge long-standing diplomatic norms across the Caribbean Basin and the broader Western Hemisphere.

Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be provided.
RSVP is recommended, and donations welcomed.

Frank Calzón is a leading authority on Cuba’s political system, intelligence services, and the regime’s long-standing role in exporting influence across Latin America. With decades of experience analyzing Havana’s security apparatus and foreign operations, he brings a critical international perspective on how Cuban intelligence networks intersect with Russian, Venezuelan, and other anti-U.S. actors in the Caribbean Basin.

Daniel Di Martino is a Venezuelan economist and policy analyst whose work focuses on authoritarian governance, economic collapse, and migration dynamics in Venezuela and Latin America. Based in the United States, he brings an international perspective grounded in lived Venezuelan experience and academic research, examining how state failure, sanctions, and external actors shape regional security and U.S. policy interests.

Ilya Ponomarev is a former Russian State Duma deputy - the only one to vote against the annexation of Crimea - and a technology investor whose work spans defense innovation, emerging technologies, and Russian elite dynamics. Now based between Ukraine and Washington, he brings a rare international perspective shaped by direct involvement in Ukraine’s wartime innovation ecosystem and by his role as a leading voice of the Russian democratic opposition analyzing global security and post-Putin transition scenarios.

Don Ritter is a former U.S. congressman and longtime leader in transatlantic democracy and security initiatives, with extensive experience on U.S.–Soviet and post–Cold War geopolitical affairs. His perspective bridges policymaking and international advocacy, offering insight into how authoritarian influence operations and great-power competition challenge democratic institutions and U.S. strategic interests globally.

Martin Palouš is a former Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States and a veteran diplomat shaped by Central Europe’s transition from communism to democracy. His international perspective draws on decades of experience in diplomacy, human rights, and transatlantic relations, offering insight into how authoritarian influence, historical memory, and democratic resilience intersect in today’s global security environment.

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