Local expert weighs in on Maduro’s capture and U.S.-Venezuela tensions
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — This past weekend, the United States military launched airstrikes in Venezuela’s capital, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) International Politics Professor Chris Saladino weighed in on the potential for a war.
"Likely not," Saladino said about whether a full-scale war could happen. "The reason, I think mostly, is because an authorization for what is a war will have to eventually emanate through Congress, and Congress does not appear to be in a position to want or to think it's necessary. Things could change."
Saladino said situation is unpredictable. However, he said conflict between the two countries have been going on for decades.
“The relationship has been a slow deterioration for a long, long time, there have been attempts by different administrations to try to rehabilitate Venezuela," he said.
Saladino explained the U.S. strategy behind the military operation.
"The administration's idea was that it was, it was giving Maduro opportunities to bow out gracefully," he said.
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Maduro and his wife are now in New York, where they pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges.
"There's a lot that goes on in this kind of a high-profile trial that makes it something that, you know, you're not going to be able to say in six months ‘See, I told you so."
Saladino said the average American likely won’t notice changes in their daily life, but a potential for the situation to escalate into war territory remains.
