Luis Fajardo

So there's very little the Venezuelan military could do to confront them directly.

Of course, what others suggest is that if this escalated, as some people suggest could happen,

to a broader conflict and a broader U.S.

intervention in Venezuela, then things could become different.

And there's some evidence that the Venezuelan government has been activating militias inside the country to prepare for a longer confrontation.

in Venezuelan territory if that hypothetically happened.

There's also the presence of Colombian rebels who are sympathetic to the Venezuelan Maduro administration and, again, who are said to be preparing for this kind of conflict.

But, again, this is entirely hypothetical.

There is very little doubt that in the immediate, the short-term confrontation in the Caribbean between the U.S.

Navy and the Venezuelan military, there's very little the Venezuelan military could actually do against it.

The Venezuelan government has sent a statement describing the call in which President Maduro called the UN Secretary General and complained about what he described as colonial American attitudes because of the growing tension and particularly the latest actions regarding oil tankers trying to leave Venezuela, unlicensed oil tankers.

He also described American actions as barbaric diplomacy.

Clearly, Mr. Maduro shows a lot of concern and the Venezuelan government is showing a lot of concern about this latest escalation in these tensions with the U.S.

which have gone on for several weeks now.

They are trying to sound a defiant note, as you say, but many analysts suggest that, in fact, the impact could be very, very strong on Venezuela, even if the U.S.

only impeded the passage of a part of Venezuelan oil being carried in these oil tankers.

The Venezuelan economy has been

fragile for several months.

Some people suggest that it is near a point of hyperinflation.

So even if part of Venezuela's oil exports were to be blocked, that would have a potentially devastating impact on the Venezuelan economy.