Venezuela's Maduro on terrorist list
The Trump administration has not removed Venezuela's Maduro from its terrorist list. The power of US President Donald Trump's administration to take action against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro may increase starting Monday, as the United States officially declared Venezuelan President Maduro and his government's allies as members of a foreign terrorist organization.
Experts say the designation of the Cartel de los Soles, a foreign terrorist organization, is more commonly used to refer to corrupt government officials than to any organized crime group. The announcement would give President Trump the authority to impose new sanctions targeting Venezuelan President Maduro's assets and infrastructure.However, legal experts say the power would not authorize the direct use of lethal military force. Nevertheless,
Trump administration officials claim that the announcement would pave the way for the United States to use military options to strike inside Venezuela to combat terrorism. Experts say the term "Cartel de los Soles" refers to a network of decentralized Venezuelan groups that are linked to drug trafficking and the armed forces. The Venezuelan president has always denied any personal involvement in drug trafficking. His government has also repeatedly denied the existence of the alleged cartel.
Military show of force and tension
The announcement came on November 16. The Pentagon has already deployed more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops to the region as part of an operation called Operation Southern Spear. The US military has already killed more than 30 people in attacks on suspected vessels as part of the anti-drug operation.
Top US administration officials have briefed Trump on options such as attacks on military or government installations inside Venezuela and special operations. Of course, the option of taking no action is still open. However, there is some public opinion against US military involvement in the region. According to a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday, 70 percent of Americans oppose US military action in Venezuela. Only 30 percent are in favor. 76 percent of respondents in the survey believe that the
Trump administration has not clearly explained the US position on military action. Officially, the Trump administration says it is working to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs. But the potential side effect of this effort could be regime change. According to a US official, Trump hopes the pressure will be enough to force Maduro to step down without resorting to direct military action. Last week, Trump expressed some interest in a diplomatic solution, saying Maduro “wants to talk.” He later indicated that he was ready to talk to him “at a certain time.”
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