WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – As it stands now, political science professor Michael Smith says the US appears to be preparing charges of narco-trafficking against both Nicholas Maduro and his wife.
As for what will happen next in Venezuela, Smith says it is still up in the air.
“Trump really hasn’t invaded a country before, including in his first term, and so we’re charting new territory here,” Smith says.
Smith says that he compares the current Venezuela situation to the 1989 invasion of Panama.
“I think the goal is victory and quick removal of US troops,” Smith said. “I think the execution is an unknown at this time.”
Smith believes that the Trump administration will try to put a regime in place and then leave the country.
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“The events in these first few days will tell us a lot, and they in particular will tell us a lot about whether or not Trump can pull a Bush Doctrine here and get those troops out of there with a succession of power in place, and one that doesn’t require US troops on the ground to oversee,” Smith said.
Public response continues to be split by party. Many Republican leaders commend the swift military action, while Democratic lawmakers argue that the move was unconstitutional due to a lack of congressional authorization.
“I’m sure the US would like to keep the oil flowing as a way of kind of providing some stable revenue for Venezuela, in the hopes that the US could stabilize the country and leave quickly,” Smith said.
Smith expects there to be a briefing this week to update the public, where more information for the future will be shared.
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