The Brutal Maduro Enforcer Standing in Trump’s Way

“Standing between President Trump and his vision for a stable, U.S.-friendly oil power looms one man: Diosdado Cabello, the belligerent and eccentric de facto leader of Venezuela’s security forces and brutal militias, and a wild card in the country’s future,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Cabello, whose first name means ‘God-given’ in Spanish, has long positioned himself as the regime’s fiercest defender, commanding some of the ‘colectivos’—armed gangs who roared through Caracas on motorbikes this week in a menacing show of force.”

“Indicted by the U.S. alongside ousted Nicolás Maduro, Cabello faces a choice: back the fledgling government of his rival, acting President Delcy Rodríguez, or make a bold play for power himself, toppling her and risking face-to-face conflict with American commandos.”

Axios: Trump presses Venezuela to dismiss agents from China, Russia, Iran, Cuba.