Anatoly Kurmanaev

And I think I've seen at least six times, six moments when it looked like his government might collapse.

You know, I've seen it all.

It was mass protests, you know, millions of people in the streets.

It was military coups.

It was riots.

economic chaos, the deepest reception in the world outside of war zone and in modern history.

There was a national blackout for a week and it just looked like the entire country might collapse.

There was a stolen election last year and it's still the same government and power.

But what we haven't had before is the spectra of military action and military action from the most powerful country on earth.

So a lot of people here believe that this time it could be different.

So, so far, the U.S.

has destroyed seven boats off the Venezuelan coast, killing about 30 people.

It has amassed a substantial military force in the Caribbean.

And last week, the Trump administration has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela.

And Trump has explicitly said that he is considering launching operations on Venezuelan land.

Basically meaning the involvement of U.S.

servicemen, U.S.

operatives in violent actions inside Venezuela.

But it's the sense of siege that it has created in Venezuela, I think, and the expectation that this is just the first phase of a prolonged military campaign against the Maduro government.

So it's hard to know what is legitimate planning for next military steps and what is part of psychological warfare.