Key Points and Summary – The “alarming” U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean is a “compellence campaign” against Venezuela, not a counter-drug operation. -However, the administration’s demands are “frustratingly vague,” making it unclear what Venezuela must do to avoid conflict. How Strikes on Venezuela Could Become a Large War No One Saw Coming  What’s going […]

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Over the past two months, the United States has engaged in an alarming buildup of military capabilities in the Caribbean.

These capabilities vastly exceed the demands of even the most ambitious counter-narcotics program.

A report from the Miami Herald (quickly disavowed by the Trump administration) suggested that plans were in place for an extensive military campaign against Venezuela that would target military installations and suspected narcotics transit points on the way to a potential regime change campaign.

Nevertheless, official Trump administration statements have been frustratingly vague regarding the desired outcomes of policy towards Caracas. Are we at risk of drifting into war with Venezuela?