Venezuela is no longer just a collapsing petrostate in Latin America, it has become a geopolitical frontline. As Nicolás Maduro faces the toughest challenge to his political survival in a decade, a new narrative is emerging: Who really holds power inside Venezuela today? Over the years, Russia armed the regime, Iran built drones and trained militias and China embedded surveillance tech and secured access to strategic minerals. Now, opposition leader María Corina Machado is flipping the script, arguing that Venezuela is no longer simply an authoritarian state, but a launchpad for the rivals of the United States, just 3 hours from Florida. The question is not just whether Maduro can hold power, but what happens to the networks that have taken root inside the country. If Venezuela transitions to democracy, will it reset the strategic map of the Western hemisphere? Or has the power shift already gone too far to reverse?GREY ZONE#Venezuela #Maduro #Machado #LatinAmerica #Geopolitics #USForeignPolicy #Russia #China #Iran #Hezbollah #Sanctions #OilPolitics #GlobalSouth #Democracy #Authoritarianism #ElectionCrisis #Caracas #WashingtonDC #SouthAmerica #ForeignInfluence #SecurityThreat #DroneWarfare #RareEarths #EnergyPolitics #WorldNews #AnanyaDutta #greyzone