If you really want to get the propaganda cranked up just get a couple of authoritarian regimes together and watch what happens. Here is a smattering of what came through the news feed about Nicolas Maduro’s trip abroad to make up for his snub from Summit of the Americas. While there are a number of them, I could easily have burdened you with a lot more as there were dozens and dozens of them. So…here we go.

 Iran Front Page reports that Nicolas Maduro says Iran and Venezuela have a common goal – fighting colonialism and imperialism. How Castro-esque.

 And IRNA tells us that Maduro stresses making a new world without US hegemony.

 Then we have “the big one”…Mehr News Agency reports Venezuela and Iran sign a 20 year cooperative agreement. This one was heralded across every pro-Iranian and pro-Chavista platform as a monumental undertaking…groundbreaking…etc. What this really was, was an example of something we talked about before. The Maduro regime is constantly playing up all kinds of “cooperative agreements” with any authoritarian regime they can find to play along with the farce. They are non-binding and completely free of any specifics regarding whatever the particular “agreement” is supposedly addressing. In this case it’s a multi-decade economic and political agreement of cooperation that means absolutely nothing.

 And Mehr News tells us that the Iranian Ambassador to Venezuela says direct flights between Tehran and Caracas will begin June 18th. He stressed that Latin America is a perfect and suitable region for Iran’s activities in the political, cultural, and economic arenas. Those activities, through their proxy, Hezbollah, include drug trafficking, money laundering, and terrorism.

 Then we have IRNA telling us that Venezuela First Lady, Cilia Flores, says Caracas will oppose media propaganda against Tehran. She stressed the importance of MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding) between the two countries. That would be the previously mentioned meaningless agreements.

 And we have Iran Front Page telling us that Venezuela’s First Lady met with Iran’s VP for Women’s Affairs. As both countries are serial Human Rights violators perhaps they were comparing notes on how they can specifically target women. After all, repression is gender neutral.

 Then we have the Islamic Republic News Agency with this : “Venezuela President urges Iran’s help to launch technology parks in Caracas.” I guess they don’t know that they’re just the latest in a long line of countries Maduro has asked to help launch these “Technology Parks”. He’s been hyping this for a period of years (just like the Maduro regime’s fanciful desire to manufacture pharmaceuticals). To date…no takers.

 And we have Iran Wire telling us that both Telesur (Venezuela government media) and HispanTV (Iran government media) had extensive coverage of Maduro’s visit to Iran with non-stop propaganda from both platforms. It was all PR for the Maduro regime and the Islamic Republic and there were no journalist’s questions and there was no critical analysis…What did you expect?

 Then we have ISNA reporting that the 2nd Iranian-made oil tanker was delivered to Venezuela. No details on payment were disclosed. (? the promise of future oil shipments? …like they did with China?… Ask the Chinese how that worked out.)

 And Mehr News Agency tells us that two more Iranian tankers are under construction for Venezuela. Still no payment details…

Note: Venezuela propaganda functionaries can learn from the Iranian propaganda machine. They inundated the media with dozens of articles (multiple articles by each pro-Iranian media outlet) on everything from Tehran to Caracas flights to Venezuela’s interest in bilateral petrochemical industry cooperation. They are nothing if not prolific.

Also on this trip abroad, Maduro visited Turkey and we were treated to the revelation that Turkey will begin wheat cultivation in Venezuela amid concerns of an international grain shortage. Maduro invited Turkey to produce wheat in Venezuela for a 70/30 split, 70% to Turkey leaving 30% for Venezuela. You have to wonder why Venezuela doesn’t just produce the wheat themselves? Is it ineptness? You know, like asking the world to help with “Technology Parks” etc. Or maybe it’s the shortage of fuel the Maduro regime allows the agricultural sector in Venezuela. Will the Maduro regime give fuel priority to Turkish concerns over that of Venezuelans? You know, like they do with fuel shipments to Cuba while Venezuelan farmers have no fuel for their agricultural machines and equipment (and citizens wait in line for days to fill up their gas tanks). Short answer, of course they’ll give priority to Turkey!

 And we have The Hill telling us that Joe Biden spoke by phone with Venezuela opposition leader and interim President, Juan Guaido, and pledged his support … even though he didn’t invite him to the Summit of the Americas. I guess the leaders of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua shouldn’t be so upset that Biden snubbed them by not inviting them to the summit.

 Oh, and the Charlotte Observer tells us that US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, met with members of civil society from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua at the Summit of the Americas. The leaders of their respective governments may not have been invited but the leaders of civil society were.

 Then we have Merco Press telling us that Nicolas Maduro thanked Argentine President Fernandez for his remarks at the Summit of the Americas where he criticized the US for not inviting Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua and invited them to attend the CELAC (alternative to the Organization of American States) summit in Buenos Aires in December.

 More tomorrow….