From our Political Risk Report:

The U.S. is deploying its terrifyingly superior military force to possibly intercept sensitive cargo or personnel from Venezuela in the Caribbean, and to intimidate the men who, according to the Trump administration, are responsible of leading terrorist and drug trafficking organizations that threaten the security of the American people.

Intimidate how?

Big guns, big ships and the ghost of extraction.

Credible threat or not, chavista officials are uneasy and many in the Venezuelan public are overexcited.

Opposition leaders are optimistic that the U.S. naval deployment can generate significant cracks and defections among Venezuelan civilian and military officials.

Our advice: Manage your expectations and don’t ever fall for promises of Maduro’s imminent collapse.