Is Venezuela preparing for a serious conflict?

 CAN RUSSIA MAKE THIS INTO A HEMISPHERIC PROXY WAR?

IT APPEARS IT MAY BECOME MORE THAN A FEW DAYS CONFLICT

Reports are increasing of Russia, China and Iran supplying Venezuela with sophisticated drones and other equipment to at least give the United States some sort of damage if it attempts to attack Venezuela. Or will it actually put the cost high enough for the U.S. to rethink any attack at all?

No one believes that Venezuela can prevail against the U.S. if a serious effort is made to win a war. Many wonder if this whole thing was not a bluff to force Maduro to exit the country, if so, it now appears that is not going to happen. This will put Trump in a difficult position, if no attack is made he will appear weak and if he does and suffers casualties and even ships damaged it will not be a positive. It appears Venezuela is making preparations to seriously defend and the introduction of foreign assistance is another escalation, now in the western hemisphere.

The Russians and Iranians may consider this a payback for the support that the U.S. has been providing against them for years. The U.S. has assisted in the death and destruction of their countrymen in their part of the world.

Will this become another Cuban crisis in the effort to challenge the U.S. at home for leverage in what many believe is a system being proposed to concede spheres of influence in an effort to minimize nuclear armed conflict?

We will soon find out, as every day Venezuela becomes more prepared and the cost to the U.S. of maintaining this force is increasing every day. One might expect some sort of negotiated victory for Trump, to avoid actually risking some sort of prostrated conflict with losses for the U.S. military.