The increased isolationist sentiment in the Republican Party and an open derisioin of “NeoCons” by many within the current Administration, one may think that authoritarian dictators such as Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela would be feeling safer now, to do things like order the arrest of Argentinian President Javier Milei, even when the United States formally recognizes Venezuela’s opposition candidate as the president-elect of Venezuela. But such thinking may turn out to be optimistic on Maduro’s part.
The United States certainly has justifications it can trot out, as thin as a fig leaf some may consider it to be, from refusing to accept Venezuelans deported from the U.S. to the continuing “war on drugs”, even though there are other countries that contribute to one and/or the other far more greatly. Many within the Trump Administration are supporting regime change (to make it great again, assuredly), including Secretary of State Marco Rubio; even Congress is refusing to tell Trump “no”. This is not to say that there aren’t loud voices, like Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who are in opposition or that there are concerns about the United States’ capability for a potentially long war.
American warships are being sent to the area and troops are training in rain forests. A variety of options are open to the United States, including, ironically enough, seizing the Venezuelan oil fields—the apotheosis of the “NeoCon” stereotype.
Despite conflicting reports about Maduro being offered amnesty if he steps down, Venezuela is already taking preparatory actions. Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago have been warned against hosting American troops… which is a rather empty threat due to Venezuela having already threatened to invade those country’s territories after claiming much of said territory as their own. Maduro already has already claimed to have thwarted a CIA “false flag” operation.
Maduro has gotten support from Communist China, and perhaps more relevantly, is claiming to have the latest Russian air defenses and anti-aircraft missiles, including potentially hypersonic missiles.
But then, the last time the United States went toe to toe in open warfare against a country armed with the latest and greatest military technology from Russia, we were promised the “Mother of All Battles”… and instead got a 99 hour ground-war curb stomping.
