Yes, darting video of Trump’s military attack upon Caracas a few hours ago and reports of the capture and arrest of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro, a hulking moustachioed figure who reportedly stands 6’3″, and his elfin wife Cilia Flores…wee-hour videos of this Apocalypse Now-influenced invasion (rat-a-tat choppers overhead, smoke plumes rising hundreds of feet, sounds of automatic gunfire and Hollywood-style explosions) produce a brief endorphin rush among news-channel viewers.
But then the hoolah-boolah settles down and the inevitable aftermath of a forcible regime change is always a mess…never simple or satisfying. The N.Y. Times editorial board has voiced its disapproval. Early this morning Trump spoke briefly to N.Y. Times reporter Tyler Pager. An 11 am Mar a Lago news conference is scheduled.
Who has stepped into the breach as Venezuela’s new president, and where have Nick and Cilia been flown to? Did they have time to pack before leaving, and were they allowed to take suitcases, wardrobes, toiletries and personal computers and phones with them? Nick will stand trial in New York City…right? Where will he serve his hard time?
Trump has been rattling the sabre since his second term began 11 months ago. If Maduro had been smart he would have transferred his ill-gotten drug wealth to safe banks and then resigned last summer or fall and flown off with Celia to a friendly tropical country where a nice beachfront home awaits.
