Venezuela: Winds of war or pressure diplomacy?

IN dealing with Venezuela, the U.S. is trading its more traditional approach of economic and diplomatic pressure on an adversary, and instead relying on a show of force: a military buildup in the Caribbean, said University of Michigan Associate Professor Javed Ali, a former U.S. senior counterrorism official.

AI Brief

Trump declares Venezuelan airspace closed and signals potential military and covert actions to pressure Maduro.
US forces have built up in the Caribbean, conducting strikes on suspected drug boats and planning land operations.
Washington accuses Maduro of drug trafficking while he vows resistance, calling US actions an attempt to oust him.

"What we are seeing in Venezuela which is very different, is a very fairly significant U.S. military buildup that is now in place in different parts of the Caribbean and Latin America, and what seemed like pretty overt threats from President Trump warning of possible military action, covert action.... so the U.S. isn't really trying to hide what it may wind up doing to President Maduro in Venezuela. This is a very serious pressure campaign. What we have not yet seen though, is the next step in that," Ali said, adding that the outward show of force may be accompanied by covert action.

The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered "closed in its entirety," but gave no further details as Washington ramps up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.

"To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

U.S. strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean have been underway for months, along with a U.S. military buildup in the region, and Trump has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela.

The President told military service members this week that the U.S. would "very soon" begin land operations to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers.

"There is a lot that is already in the region and if there is even more on top of that, then one would think either that capability is going to be used, or it is all trying to demonstrate to President Maduro that it is either you leave the regime now, and perhaps dictate some terms that are somewhat agreeable, or there will be a full scale military operation to unseat you." said Javed Ali, Associate Professor at The University Of Michigan , who formerly served as a senior US Counterterrorism Official.

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, a charge he has denied.

Maduro, in power since 2013, has said that Trump is seeking to oust him and that Venezuelan citizens and the military will resist any such attempt.

U.S. forces in the region have so far focused on counter-narcotics operations, although the assembled firepower far outweighs anything needed for them.