DiEM25 E65: The Empire Strikes Back: Trump, Venezuela and ICE — with Yanis Varoufakis and Arnaud Bertrand
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Jan 14, 2026 
Yanis Varoufakis, an economist and former Greek finance minister, and Arnaud Bertrand, a Malaysian-based entrepreneur and commentator, delve into the implications of recent US actions in Venezuela. They analyze the shift from diplomatic hypocrisy to overt aggression, particularly regarding oil resources. Varoufakis connects today's strategic instability to historical patterns, while Bertrand debates the limits of US power and explores alternate world orders. Their conversation touches on the erosion of international law and the future of European unity in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
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Material Conditions Favor Defense
- Technological change (cheap drones) and energy self-sufficiency make large-scale offensive wars less attractive.
- Yanis sees material conditions that favor peace, creating room for negotiated accommodations among powers.
Currency Zones Trump Spheres Of Influence
- Yanis sees global bifurcation into dollar and RMB currency zones, not clean three-way spheres of influence.
- He warns Europe is collapsing economically and institutionally amid this realignment.
Europe's Institutional Collapse
- Europe is deindustrializing and losing the single market; national interests now override integration.
- Yanis criticizes European leaders for failing to condemn US violations of international law like the Venezuela raid.