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David Smilde

@dsmilde.bsky.social

930 followers 1.7K following 740 posts

Favrot Professor of Human Relations and Senior Associate at the Center for Inter-American Policy & Research, Tulane University. Opinions expressed are my own.

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David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · Sep 4

In this article on @thedispatchmedia.bsky.social I try to peel away some of the nonsense and figure out what is going on with the US operation off of the coast of VE. TLDR: it's less about drugs than geopolitics and immigration.
thedispatch.com/article/vene...

The False Pretenses Behind the Naval Operation Off the Coast of Venezuela

The nation is not a major source of drugs to the U.S., for starters.

thedispatch.com

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David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 5h

www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Professor who teaches about antifascism moves to Europe after death threats

A Rutgers University professor who wrote a book about antifa received the threats after he commented on President Donald Trump designating the movement a “domestic terrorist organization.”

www.washingtonpost.com

David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 9h

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Chicago journalists, protesters sue Trump administration, alleging ‘extreme brutality’

The organizations are urging the court to protect the First Amendment rights of protesters to peacefully protest and journalists to “observe, record, and report on the federal agents’ activities and t...

www.politico.com

David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 13h

x.com/senadamschif...

Adam Schiff on X: "Tomorrow, I, along with @SenTimKaine will be forcing a vote to block President Trump’s use of our Armed Forces to conduct strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea. Congress has not authorized these strikes. They are illegal and risk dragging America into another war." / X

Tomorrow, I, along with @SenTimKaine will be forcing a vote to block President Trump’s use of our Armed Forces to conduct strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea. Congress has not authorized these strikes. They are illegal and risk dragging America into another war.

x.com

David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 13h

x.com/bloombergtv/...

Bloomberg TV on X: ""We can't have a policy where we just blow up ships." Kentucky Sen. @RandPaul told @jmathieureports that he will be co-sponsoring a War Powers Act resolution later this week with eyes on military strikes on vessels allegedly ferrying drugs from Venezuela https://t.co/JvbVbctBCc https://t.co/MbZaLVO8tn" / X

"We can't have a policy where we just blow up ships." Kentucky Sen. @RandPaul told @jmathieureports that he will be co-sponsoring a War Powers Act resolution later this week with eyes on military strikes on vessels allegedly ferrying drugs from Venezuela https://t.co/JvbVbctBCc https://t.co/MbZaLVO8tn

x.com

David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 1d

www.justsecurity.org/121844/trump...

Legal Flaws in the Trump Administration’s Notice to Congress on “Armed Conflict” with Drug Cartels

Top legal expert analyzes the Trump administration's notice to Congress of an "armed conflict" with drug cartels.

www.justsecurity.org

David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 1d

Venezuela on edge over Trump regime change whispers: ‘If it does happen we are ready’ www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Venezuela on edge over Trump regime change whispers: ‘If it does happen we are ready’

Allies of President Nicolás Maduro vow to resist any military intervention but experts suspect Venezuela’s leaders were rattled by Trump’s decision to bomb Iran

www.theguardian.com

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David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 1d

www.caracaschronicles.com/2025/10/03/a...

A U.S. License to Kill in the Caribbean? | Caracas Chronicles

Lethal strikes on alleged terrorists in the Caribbean echo a long history of militarized policies and a contempt for human life Venezuela knows all too well

www.caracaschronicles.com

David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 2d

www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi...

PODCAST | The President's Inbox : The Legality of Trump's Drug-Boat Strikes, With Matthew Waxman

Matt Waxman, adjunct senior fellow for law and foreign policy and Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia University sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the legality of the Trump administra...

www.cfr.org

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David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 2d

www.cfr.org/article/trum...

Trump Declares ‘Armed Conflict’ Against Cartels

Welcome to the Daily News Brief, CFR’s flagship morning newsletter summarizing the top global news and analysis of the day. Subscribe to the Daily News Brief to receive it every weekday morning.Top o…

www.cfr.org

David Smilde @dsmilde.bsky.social · 2d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/m...

‘Bow to the Emperor’:We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by David Smilde

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 2d

I think this is right:
"We've slid into some form of authoritarianism," says Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard. "It is relatively mild compared to some others. It is certainly reversible, but we are no longer living in a liberal democracy."
www.npr.org/2025/04/22/n...

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Reposted by David Smilde

Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 2d

“You cannot offer false evidence, and if you do so accidentally and find out, you have to correct that … They claim our work supports conversion therapy when our work clearly and specifically condemns conversion therapy on the same page they’re citing.”