Eli Stokols: Everything I’m Hearing Is That ‘Something Is Likely to Occur’ on the Ground in Venezuela

EXCERPT:

STOKOLS: “It seems like he's trying to give Maduro an ultimatum or that he already gave Maduro the ultimatum in the phone call that you can do this the nice way, you can leave peacefully, or we're going to take you out. Whether the strikes go in to take him out immediately or just sort of apply more pressure so that he eventually agrees to leave, unknown. That's probably one of the things they're talking about here. But there's a belief that this is something not just about conveying and communicating strength in the hemisphere, that this is something that will be in service of the president's other priorities related to protecting the homeland, slowing drug trafficking, sending a message to other world powers about the sort of resolve of the United States. There does not seem to be a lot of debate going on inside the administration. It feels like the people who are pushing for more of a sort of you know, restrained approach are not really part of the conversation at this point. So maybe some questions still to be determined about how much and when, but everything I'm hearing is that something is likely to occur.”