When the United States ordered its largest deployment of warships and combat aircraft to the Caribbean in more than 30 years, the mission was initially presented as a war on drug trafficking. Attacks soon followed to destroy small boats that the U.S. president said were smuggling drugs. But the focus has shifted.
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The priority now is to force the departure of the top leaders of Venezuelan Chavismo, preferably through resignation or a negotiated transfer of power, but with the clear threat that if Nicolás Maduro and his inner circle cling to power, the Americans could use targeted military force to capture or kill them.
“(Donald) Trump’s strategy is not about putting boots on the ground, but about demonstrating overwhelming military superiority and using that power to achieve political ends,” said a Venezuelan opposition figure familiar with the discussions.
“The objective is clear: Maduro and his closest accomplices must go, one way or another, and soon.”
Maduro and his inner circle have responded by ordering military exercises and touring the country to mobilize the population against what they describe as an imminent"gringo" invasion. But their defiance masks a growing concern for their personal safety.
Well-connected businessmen inside Venezuela report that high-ranking regime officials have switched phone numbers, are sleeping in different locations each night, and have replaced their Cuban bodyguards with new contingents sent from Havana.
“Security protocols dictate that officers constantly move between different locations,” said an active Venezuelan general, adding that they travel between Caracas and the cities of Valencia and Maracay.
Law enforcement sources describe an internal “witch hunt” in search of dissidents.
“They accuse anyone of being a traitor,” said a police officer. “They’re spying on us, monitoring what we say in the hallways and on the internet.”
Military analysts point out that the Venezuelan armed forces are in a poor state of preparation to confront an external enemy, with much of their equipment unusable due to lack of maintenance or spare parts.
“The Venezuelan military has only appeared strong because they've been fighting unarmed civilians,” said one opposition figure, alluding to the army's role in suppressing the protests.
