Last evening after 6pm, one of my friends sent me a YouTube video, breaking news from the White House in Washington DC. The video was taken down since then, but it depicted POTUS admirals, generals, and chairmen of this and that, announcing they were “Launching an Enhanced Counter Narcotic Operation in the Caribbean,” combatting the illicit flow of drugs into the USA and going after drug lords from Mexico and the illegal president of Venezuela. One stone, two despicable birds with 22 partner nations sharing the operation and the intelligence.
“We’re at war with COVID-19, we’re at war with terrorists, and we are at war with the drug cartels . . . We’re the United States military and we will defend our country.” —said General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the United States military.
The officials went on to explain that while fighting the pandemic, the drug lords saw an opportunity to ship even more drugs into the USA and in turn, the pandemic presented an attractive opportunity for the USA to finally send Maduro packing.
The marshaled all assets required and already have a great number of military ships, destroyers, and aircrafts in the Caribbean, ready to break the criminal-control of Venezuela, disrupt, seize and eradicate the drug flow.
I spoke to one of my Venezuela-born friends recently. He said it would happen, soon. He said the time is right and that Maduro is busy negotiating his retirement with Cuba or Turkey where he may occupy a nice villa by the sea and live off the millions he stole, after reaching an agreement to abandon the country.
Perfect Storm
With the recent news that “Nicolás Maduro Moros and 14 Current and Former Venezuelan Officials were Charged with Narco-Terrorism, Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Criminal Charges,” and that “They Allegedly Partnered With the FARC to Use Cocaine as a Weapon to “Flood” the United States,” the writing on the wall, predicting the fall of the regime got clearer and clearer every day, coupled with financial sanctions and a handsome reward, a 15 million bounty, it all morphed into a PERFECT STORM, compounded by shortages of food and medicine.
My friend also explained, that Venezuela is not completely broke. The deal whereby the oil ended up in Russian and Chinese hands, in lieu of debt — will be contested, it was made with an illegal government, who took a decision without the legitimate National Assembly’s consent, and thus can be nixed by the international community, reverting to the legitimate government of #venezuelalibre with US backed Acting President of Venezuela Juan Guaido at the helm.
Last year, I read that the US was trying to reach a deal with chief narco-terrorista, original Chavista criminal, drug trafficking millionaire Diosdado Cabello who is running a gold, gasoline, and drug smuggling business. They tried to talk him into betraying Maduro, against some leniency, and we expect him to also go down in the wash. Good riddance.
My friend also reported it was good for Aruba, because if Maduro disappears, and the 5 million Venezuelanos come back from exile, they will also return to their favorite vacation island, maybe not immediately but soon.
Aruba learned to appreciate the sizeable contribution of the wealthy Venezuelan tourists when they stopped coming. The new Venezuelan visitors Post-Corona, Post-Maduro, will also be a changed entity, perhaps less chaotic, less impetuous, less wasteful, a more conscientious client, having gone without, for so long.
Best of all, the invisible illegals among us, missing their patria, will now have an incentive to return to familiar grounds and rebuild their life where they feel most at home.
