by Paul Dragu, The New American:
An operation that started out as strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers is being unveiled for what it really is. It’s now obvious that the Trump administration is determined to force a regime change in Venezuela.
President Donald Trump reportedly told Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro late last week to immediately leave the country. The Miami Herald reported Sunday that the White House gave Maduro a clear message: “You can save yourself and those closest to you, but you must leave the country now.” The sources who talked to the Herald said the White House told Maduro that “safe passage would be guaranteed for him, his wife Cilia Flores, and his son only if he agreed to resign right away.”
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Trump held a meeting a few days later, Monday evening, with top national security officials to discuss Venezuela. The meeting included secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Land Operations Ahead
The Herald report came on the heels of Trump’s announcement last Thursday that military operations against Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles will soon expand from blowing up speedboats to land operations. “We have almost stopped (drug trafficking), it is 85% stopped by sea”, Trump said in a Thanksgiving video call to U.S. troops. “And we will also begin to stop them by land. By land it’s easier, but that will start very soon.” But this doesn’t mean the U.S. government intends to stop blowing up boats. Hegseth said during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that the strikes will continue.
Maduro Won’t Budge
Maduro has, so far, refused to leave. On Monday, he attended a rally with supporters from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela in downtown Caracas. He said that his enemies “will never be able to take us off the path of the revolution, under any circumstances,” according to reports. The communist dictator also addressed D.C.’s threats:
We have lived through 22 weeks of psychological terrorism, which have tested us. The test of love for the homeland.… We are more than a party: we are a force, and we have achieved unity among all Venezuelans in the face of these imperial threats.
Maduro’s refusal to leave is reportedly the result of the United States refusing three main requests. According to the Herald:
“First, Maduro asked for global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected,” said the source, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections.” The arrangement, the source added, resembled a “Cuban model” that left the Ortega brothers as the real power behind the scenes and ultimately helped pave their return to government. The administration rejected that proposal as well. The third sticking point was timing: Washington insisted Maduro resign immediately, and Caracas refused.
Regime Change the Goal
The signs that “Operation Southern Spear” is really “Operation Oust Maduro” are becoming more apparent.
On Saturday, Trump announced on his Truth Social account that all airspace “above and surrounding Venezuela” should be considered “closed in its entirety.”
Earlier that week, on November 24, Rubio designated Maduro and his officials a foreign terrorist organization, a move that expands justification for military intervention.
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