“Venezuela is a state manipulated by crime,” stated Omar Bula, who described the country as a “narco-state” transformed into a de facto entity governed by criminals profiting from drug trafficking and other illicit activities.
Venezuela Política Y Sin Filtros spoke with Bula, a Colombian expert in international geopolitics, who emphasized that Venezuela is the archetype of a state overtaken by organized crime, where the state apparatus serves merely as a tool for an illegal economy controlled by a regime of criminals and their organizations, such as the Cartel de los Soles and the Tren de Aragua.
The discussion underscored the critical situation in both Colombia and Venezuela, warning of the risk that these nations solidify as states controlled by mafias and radical groups.
Moreover, Omar Bula conducted a thorough analysis of the global confrontation between Western democratic models and the rise of authoritarianism linked to transnational organized crime. He examined the political landscape of 2025 and 2026, defined by a battle of culture and security, while highlighting the impact of leadership such as Donald Trump’s in restoring U.S. influence.
Venezuela: A Narco-State
Bula’s assertion that Venezuela is a state manipulated by organized crime is based on the fact that it is governed “de facto […] by criminals who profit” from drug trafficking and other illicit activities. A “narco-state” is defined as one where the state apparatus is merely a tool for an illegal economy.
Bula stated that the massive Venezuelan migration is a direct consequence of the criminal regime, asserting that “when the criminal government of Venezuela ends, so will that migration.”
For the analyst, the mention of a potential strike in Venezuelan territory by President Trump against “facilities that supply drugs” serves as evidence of the increasing pressure undermining organized crime in the country.
Global Geopolitical Struggle and Organized Crime
The meeting between Venezuela Política and Sin Filtros with Omar Bula facilitated an analysis of the current global geopolitical confrontation, which features a central conflict between two opposing models: on one hand, an authoritarian-globalist model allied with extreme left, radical Islam, and transnational organized crime; and on the other, a model that seeks to preserve the institutions and values of the West.
The conversation established that the year 2026 is shaping up to be a critical inflection point in this struggle, where the Trump administration in the United States emerges as a fundamental reactive force initiating a “great battle” to defend Western values and expose the magnitude of its adversaries.
A key actor in this conflict is transnational organized crime, a global industry worth trillions of dollars that has infiltrated states—especially in Latin America—and transformed them into narco-states that serve its interests. Cases like Venezuela and Colombia illustrate the severity of this threat, where state sovereignty is at risk.
The U.S. response to this threat includes strategically distracting rivals like China, Russia, and Iran, as well as supporting regional political movements aligned with the defense of the West. Meanwhile, Europe— a continent in deep crisis over mass immigration and weak elites— and Africa, where strategic movements like Israel’s recognition of Somaliland aim to counter the influence of rival powers and extremism.
Authoritarianism vs. Western Democracy
Our discussion with Omar Bula presents a worldwide struggle between two paradigms of governance and civilization, where the opposing models are “very difficult to cohere” and their conflict will determine the future of representative democracies.
The authoritarian-globalist model is characterized by a specific agenda promoting social control in exchange for a purported security and order. It is marked by the collaboration of globalism, extreme left, and radical Islam, conducting an “enormous cognitive war,” using misinformation to convince individuals to accept the relinquishing of freedoms in exchange for order.
Bula noted that this model takes advantage of Western freedoms to “penetrate the bowels of the West,” and once established, imposes totalitarianism.
Conversely, the Western model seeks to uphold and preserve the institutions underpinning representative democracies and, while not considered perfect, shows “significant advancements in favor of freedom, respect for human rights, and justice.”
Bula warns that the foundations of the Western model are under threat and that 2026 presents a decisive moment for its preservation or loss. “We are talking about a globalist authoritarian model with a very specific agenda and the other that seeks to sustain and conserve the institutions that made the West.”
The Role of the Trump Administration and the U.S. Response
Donald Trump’s ascension to the presidency of the United States in January 2025 marked a turning point that initiated the “great battle” to defend Western values.
This is a breaking point, as prior to Trump, there was a “very strong current of globalism allied with the extreme left, even radical Islam.” Trump’s presidency is seen as the commencement of an active defense of “the West, its values, the family, common sense, reason, and rationality.”
Omar Bula recalled that from day one of this new administration, Trump enacted a series of decrees that surprised his opponents, triggering a reaction that keeps the battle “very, very heated.”
He pointed out that the foreign policy of the Trump administration is a “deliberate distraction” from rival actors such as China, Russia, and Iran, undermining them in their own dilemmas—Ukraine’s war for Russia, economic and hegemonic tensions for China—to reduce their action capacity in Latin America. The goal is to reclaim U.S. influence in its hemisphere, a “long-term” task.
Transnational Organized Crime as a Geopolitical Actor
Omar Bula also highlighted the visibility and power of transnational organized crime, which has transitioned from a subterranean phenomenon to a central player in the global conflict.
He noted that the organized crime industry generates between $2.6 and $3 trillion annually, which equates to nearly 4% to 5% of the global GDP.
He argues that transnational organized crime operates without economic, legal, or ethical boundaries in an “underworld” and its activities extend beyond drug trafficking to include illegal mining, human trafficking, wildlife, and contraband. These have become “the worst criminals in the history of humanity.”
Bula warned that “if crime wins [this battle], the aftermath will be truly tragic,” as organized crime intertwines with state actors that are anti-Western, such as:
- China: involved in money laundering for drug cartels through “underground banks.”
- Russia: supports Cuba, a country historically involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean.
- Iran and Hezbollah: this terrorist group finances about 30% of its global terror operations with resources from Latin America. Their presence extends from the triple border to Venezuela and Chiapas (Mexico).
Latin America at a Crossroads
Omar Bula believes that Latin America has become a central battleground in this struggle, with several countries facing decisive moments.
In this regard, he explained that Colombia is on the brink of becoming a narco-state as well, a situation he considers extremely serious, as the Andean nation risks becoming “an aggravated version of Venezuela part two.”
He argues that the upcoming elections cannot be seen as “just any elections” but as a unique opportunity to confront organized crime head-on or cede the country to its control, with the possibility of Colombia having “the first government officially […] ruled by organized transnational crime.”
For Bula, the candidacy of Abelardo de la Espriella is an opportunity to tackle the organized crime threatening Colombia, and he stressed his firm stance on the necessity to combat organized crime.
Addressing critiques about his past ties as a lawyer for figures of Chavismo, he argued that:
Bula believes that President Petro’s call for a constituent assembly is a “mockery,” an “aberration,” and “last-minute cries,” expressing hope that legal mechanisms and the opposition can stop this process.
Europe and the Crisis of the West
The situation in Europe was also analyzed by Omar Bula, who expressed pessimism, believing the situation in the old continent to be “very serious” and possibly at a point of “no return.”
He established that the main threat to Europe is a “wave of immigration” that already has “demographic effects” which, in the long run, will result in a disparity in birth rates between immigrants and native Europeans, producing a “very significant change.”
Bula believes that the presence of a significant number of mayors of extremist Islamic origin in the United Kingdom is highly concerning, as some promote the primacy of Sharia law over British law, representing a kind of “total cultural invasion.”
Omar Bula stressed that it is ironic that the enemies of the West use its freedoms as a weapon to destroy it from within. “We and our freedoms are the instruments they use to ultimately bring us down, and that’s where totalitarianism installs itself.”
Africa and the Strategy in Somaliland
Finally, Omar Bula mentioned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state on December 26, 2025, marking a key geopolitical move.
He reminded that Africa has seen a growing influence of China and Russia over the last 20 years of U.S. “abandonment.” Somalia, in particular, is a hotspot for extreme Islamism through the Al-Shabaab group, linked to ISIS.
He emphasized the strategic importance this holds, as Somaliland is the most governable region in Somalia, offering a geographical and political foothold for Western powers (the U.S. and Israel) to establish bases and combat Islamic extremism in the region.
Watch on Sin Filtros “The US recaptures the “backyard”: organized crime vs States, is Venezuela heading towards freedom?”: