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The US launched a half-hour-long "special military operation" in Venezuela on Saturday morning that culminated in Delta Force's capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Several military sites were bombed, US helicopters flew freely over Caracas in a surreal display of the US' aerial supremacy, and there were reportedly no US casualties. The US' "special military operation" was therefore an astounding success regardless of one's personal opinions about its merits. Here are five takeaways from this event:
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1. The US' Grand Strategic Goal Is To Build "Fortress America"
It was assessed here that the National Security Strategy's prioritization of the Western Hemisphere is all about building "Fortress America", which refers to the restoration of the US' hegemony over the Americas in order for it to survive and even thrive if it loses control of the Eastern Hemisphere. It might not happen right away, but the US' "special military operation" will likely result in it obtaining control over Venezuela's oil reserves, the world's largest. That would help make "Fortress America" a reality.
2. Maduro Should Have Taken Trump's Deal In Hindsight
Trump earlier claimed that Maduro had "offered everything" to the US when asked about a report that the Venezuelan leader agreed to let American companies take control of his country's resources. The only sticking point appeared to be Maduro's political fate, with Trump wanting him to go into exile likely at the urging of Marco Rubio (his powerful Secretary of State and National Security Advisor), while Maduro seemingly refused. He should have taken Trump's deal in hindsight to avoid this humiliating end.
3. The Ayatollah Is Likely Watching Everything Very Closely
Trump recently threatened military action against Iran in support of its latest protest movement, which assembled in response to the country's deteriorating economy but is suspected of being orchestrated in part by foreign spy agencies in collusion with local agents. The US clearly wants Iran's complete strategic capitulation after its arguable loss to Israel during last summer's 12-day war, and if the US doesn't get what it wants through diplomacy or a Color Revolution, then it might try to capture the Ayatollah too.
4. Adversarial Media Will Likely Try To Discredit Russia
Venezuela has an estimated $20 billion worth of Soviet/Russian arms, including Sukhoi fighter jets and S-300 surface-to-air missiles, yet none were used against the US (possibly due to it buying off top defense officials). Russia and Venezuela also ratified a strategic partnership pact late last year too, but it importantly didn't contain any mutual defense clauses. Nevertheless, these two factors will likely be exploited by adversarial media to discredit Russia after the US' "special military operation" in Venezuela.
5. Top Alt-Media Figures Once Again Discredited Themselves
Some top Alt-Media figures lie about the subjects of their geopolitical devotion like when they lied about how the Iranian-led "Resistance Axis" would destroy Israel in a war prior to their defeat at its hands last year. Many of the "usual suspects" did the same with regard to what Venezuela would do if the US attacked it, only to have once again discredited themselves, but Tim Anderson takes the cake after lying that Russia gave Venezuela Oreshniks with the innuendo that they'd be used if it was attacked.
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The US' astoundingly successful "special military operation" in Venezuela is a monumental geopolitical development that'll likely serve to coerce the rest of the hemisphere into strategically capitulating to it, which could lead to "Fortress America's" construction at an accelerated pace. Iran might soon follow Venezuela even if the Ayatollah isn't captured like Maduro just was. The common thread between them is that the US has decided to take out its weaker adversaries across the world who refuse to submit to it.
Comment: Will this local success make the Trump admin reckless with respect to Iran trying the same thing in Iran? It's on thing to pull off a regime change operation in a third-rate country located in your own backyard. It's quite another to try the same stunt half a world away, in a country almost twice as big as Venezuela, and whose allies relatively speaking, are right next door.
Besides, the fallout from this move has barely begun. The Pentagon may have stirred up such a hornet's nest in Latin America, they may never get further on their list.