Did Russia persuade Mr. Maduro to stand fast? In reality, U.S. military action can serve Venezuela only as a threatening prospect that incentivizes senior commanders to move against Mr. Maduro. A country of roughly 30 million people with a well-equipped army and a heavily armed civilian population, Venezuela is not Grenada , or even Panama; intervention would be costly. European governments have set up a “contact group” with some of the more dovish Latin Americans, while Russia and Cuba are backing the Maduro regime. That ought to be the role of the United States; if the Trump administration can’t or won’t play it, others will have to step forward.

Source: Washington Post May 06, 2019 23:27 UTC