We don't have any different capabilities inside of Venezuela than we did two days ago

Hahahahahaha! How much more do you want?

Those things are completely inconsistent with this being part of an effort to overthrow the current government and replace it with the opposition party. They weaken both the legitimacy and strength of the opposition party, making it harder for them to either claim that they are today rightfully in charge of Venezuela or to call for processes that would put them in charge of Venezuela.

This whole passage elicits a sigh. Yo people have observed Trump for a decade and learned absolutely nothing about the man.

Thought exercise. Had Trump embraced Machado, what’s the worldwide leftist reaction to her?

Administration was instead counting on Rodriguez to be a willing ally of Washington after she took over.

This is why the left gets foreign issues wrong. You guys put far too much weight into what leaders say in public. Of course she’s going to come out and pound the table. She has to put up appearances.

Don’t you think that she’s getting phone calls now? And that those phone calls are about discussing options?

Right now, there are no signs that there's some 4D chess game running hidden in the background

Because there isn’t one. The left always assumes there’s some corruption angle, builds that up in their minds, then wonders when it doesn’t appear.

The objectives in Venezuela are obvious.