Portside

But while it does hearken back to some quasi-piratical practices of the U.S. Navy, the military buildup now is in key respects both unprecedented and shocking. It could also damage U.S. relations with the rest of the hemisphere for a generation

All the elements, especially US impunity, are in place to eventually attempt a decapitation strike eliminating the South American nation’s leadership.

Violent street battles erupted in parts of Caracas in what was the most serious challenge yet to Maduro’s rule. Still, the rebellion, dubbed “Operation Freedom,” seemed to have garnered only limited military support.