Venezuelan Leader Claims YouTube Award for TV Show

Diosdado Cabello, a prominent figure in Venezuela's socialist regime and a long-suspected drug lord, announced on Wednesday that his television show, *Con el Mazo Dando* ("Hitting with the Mallet"), received a commemorative plaque from YouTube for reaching 100,000 subscribers. In a defiant statement, Cabello mocked the opposition, referring to them as "escualidos" and claimed that YouTube acknowledged the international reach of his content. He expressed skepticism about the longevity of his channel, predicting it would soon be taken down by platform administrators. Cabello, who has held various high-ranking positions in the Venezuelan government over the past 25 years, currently serves as the vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and is a member of the National Assembly. This assembly has been criticized for its illegitimacy following a controversial election in December 2020, which saw the Maduro regime consolidate power against the opposition. U.S. authorities have long accused Cabello of being a key player in the Cartel of the Suns, a notorious cocaine trafficking organization linked to high-ranking military officials and PSUV leaders. The cartel has been implicated in drug trafficking operations that are viewed as a form of "asymmetric warfare" against the United States. In March 2020, Cabello was indicted in a New York federal court on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, with a $10 million bounty placed on his head. *Con el Mazo Dando*, which began airing in February 2014 during a period of significant protests against the Maduro government, is broadcast on state-owned channels and online platforms, including YouTube. Cabello's show has become a platform for promoting the regime's narrative amidst ongoing allegations of corruption and drug trafficking.