New York Times is reporting that Trump has called off diplomatic outreach to Venezuela.
The move paves the way for a possible military escalation against drug traffickers or the government of Nicolás Maduro.
www.nytimes.com
Non-paywall:
https://archive.is/94yFb
This occurs against a backdrop of U.S. military strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats leaving Venezuela, Trump’s allegations that Venezuelans state-backed drug gangs are foreign terrorists in non-international armed conflict with the U.S., and a downward spiral of acrimony towards Venezuela from the Trump administration. Maduro has been described by the U.S. as an ‘illegitimate’ leader and it sounds like military options being considered include the possibility of regime change. USSOUTHCOM has a growing number of military assets postured in the Caribbean including the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious group with 22 Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked. And of course it’s not a very long flight from the U.S. across the Caribbean.
So yeah… Watch this space I guess.
