IIMT unfortunately doesn't learn and still has problems comprehending the military prowess of the US military, which is unrivaled. Can leave the predictable and stale DEI/crumbling infrastructure takes at the door bytheway. After the Iran debacle the man should know better, unfortunately yet per usual he has reverted back to 'US WEAK' factory settings after a 1-2 months reboot session.
Quick throwback to the Iran episode, it just has to be said. Back then IIMT was practically one on one copying the rhetoric of destabilization/ demoralization agent Cucker Tarlson, claiming that US interference in and destruction of Iran's nuclear program would surely lead to thousands of dead US servicemembers in the Middle East and Iranian ICBMs on London to boot. 48 hours after these hallucinant remarks the US Airforce flew B2 bombers in from Arizona, destroyed Tehran's 40 year old nuclear program squeekly clean, left Iranian airspace before a single Iranian had understood what just happened, and subsequently made it clear to the Iranians that they would get a token reprisal at an abandoned al Udeid AB and that would be the end of it.
That's called flexing your muscle and that scene+ aftermath is educational in itself. Venezuela won't be much different. There aren't going to be many US casualties, the Venezuelans might get a lucky shot in from one of the few mobile Venezuelan AD systems that manage to survive the initial waves of cruise missile attacks but not much more. The US military is a multi-trillion dollar beast that gives faux tough guy dictators tremors even by simply assembling, that includes those in Moscow and Beijing hence the constant nuclear sabrerattling. Ergo the US taking on Venezuela is like a healthy 6ft tall 30 something man beating up a 85 year old grandma. It's not a fight, it's assault.
Even Maduro knows this, hence why he's suddenly changed tune and is now trying to negotiate his exit in the most beneficial way possible. A deal might be in the cards but is not a given. Man shouldn't ask too much though, he's got little leverage and his best bet is a flight to Moscow. Nicky M. needs to bring his Playstation though, then he can enjoy those late night FIFA 25 sessions with his gaming buddy to be Bashar.
If exit negotiations fail Maduro's options are 1. hoping Trump was just posturing or 2. sheltering in a bunker, taking the beatdown, sitting it out and hoping the FANB doesn't collapse or turn on him. Maduro's totally beholden to Trump's mood of the day, hardly a peep barring a few obligatory remarks from Maduro's 'allies' bytheway. He's on his own.
Realistically Maduro's only path to political survival is scenario 2, aka sitting out the beating in one piece. Can't see Trump backing off after this much noise, would expose the US as a loudmouth paper tiger. The US is not going to send in ground forces barring a few SF teams which might very well already be on the ground. US society is developed and casualty averse, this is in opposition to shitholes like Russia where people simply shrug and stare with glazy eyes at a 300k KIA number. Maduro's best bet is trying to outlast Trump's grumpy mood swings Ansarallah/Houthi style, if DC feels that the window of opportunity on regime change is closing, and that its sustained weeks/months long bombing campaign is decreasing in return of investment they might pull the plug, leave Maduro in the ruins, impose an embargo and perform the occasional drone strike from thereon.
