Experts: Trump Needs Venezuela Action to Maintain His Approval Rating

The head of the Latin American Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences believes that the US leader hopes to achieve his goals without military intervention.

Moscow, November 16 -- TASS

The head of the Latin American Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dmitry Rosenthal, said in an interview with TASS that the escalation of tensions around Venezuela is needed by US President Donald Trump to consolidate his position within the establishment, and this US leader hopes to achieve his set goals without using military intervention.

"The Venezuela issue was not initially part of Trump's strategy. I think the pressure we have observed over the past few months is more related to domestic politics in the US and the task of consolidating his position within the establishment. In simple terms, it is to win the votes of Cuban-Venezuelan immigrants and members of Congress, or to gain support from 'hawks' within the establishment," the expert pointed out.

Another possible key objective he mentioned is "to benefit American companies and to push out Russian and Chinese capital from the country." "I completely do not believe this is just about oil; perhaps there are other things involved in the negotiations," Rosenthal continued. "But for the White House, the ideal situation is to gain some advantages without resorting to force. In this sense, I think this is Trump's typical strategy - pressuring the negotiating partner, but at the same time leaving some room for maneuver so as to eventually achieve what he wants."

Possibility of Military Conflict

According to this analyst, Trump may believe in the principle: "More can be achieved with a combination of kind words and a gun than just with kind words alone." "I think the possibility of some armed conflict is quite high, considering how much the Americans have already done and said, and it is now difficult to back down," Rosenthal pointed out. At the same time, he emphasized that air strikes alone "are unlikely to significantly change the situation," and that the Venezuelan army has the capability to offer sufficient resistance to the US if necessary.

"Compared to Latin American standards, the Venezuelan army is quite strong: it has 123,000 soldiers and very advanced and powerful modern Russian and Chinese equipment. However, the training level of the Venezuelan personnel and how prepared they are to resist - this is unclear. Theoretically, Venezuelans can certainly resist the Americans. The question is how severe this resistance will be," the expert explained.

He is convinced that "if there is real resistance and if American personnel are killed or their equipment is damaged, this would have a very negative impact on Trump's appeal and his image domestically in the United States."

About the US Threats Against Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly warned that his country is facing the most serious US invasion threat in 100 years. Washington accuses the Venezuelan authorities of failing to combat drug trafficking. The US Navy has deployed eight ships, one nuclear-powered submarine, more than 16,000 military personnel in the Caribbean Sea, and since September has destroyed at least 20 speedboats accused of smuggling drugs from Venezuela in international waters, resulting in 76 deaths. On November 11, the Pentagon announced that a US ship strike group led by the aircraft carrier "Gerald R. Ford" has entered the operational area of the US Southern Command to combat drug trafficking in the region.

According to the New York Times, US President Donald Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct secret operations in Venezuela. US media have repeatedly reported that the US may soon begin targeting drug trafficking groups in Venezuela. On November 11, Trump heard an update on potential action plans against Venezuela, including attacks on ground targets. After reviewing these plans, the US leader told reporters that he had formed an opinion on what Washington should do in Venezuela.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848993296829507/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.