Erosion is underway in Venezuela\u2019s military. Small groups of military members are retaining their weapons or acquiring them from armories and going off on their own, posting videos addressed to Venezuelans in general to oppose Maduro and his dictatorship.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/08\/08\/world\/americas\/nicolas-maduro-venezuela-military.html<\/a><\/p>\n I see reports that the opposition has given up and others that it has not. Being on the outside looking in, I can\u2019t make a judgment on this, nor would I do so. \u00a0I would guess that the opposition people, those who protested in the streets, are simply worn to the bone.<\/p>\n However, some of the reports indicate that the newly-elected assembly has now declared itself all-powerful and the opposition congress illegitimate. I can speculate on the direction this will take, because we\u2019ve seen it happen before. But quite frankly, these things don\u2019t end well.<\/p>\n Foreign ministers from 17 Western hemisphere nations are rejecting Venezuela\u2019s new assembly.<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/the_americas\/the-latest-venezuela-opposition-urges-nationwide-protest\/2017\/08\/07\/a9272ef8-7bd0-11e7-b2b1-aeba62854dfa_story.html?utm_term=.c00e4f32559f<\/a><\/p>\n Venezuelans are leaving their own country by any means possible. Delta and Avianca suspended their flights to Venezuela at the end of July. I believe that leaves 10 airlines still making stops there.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/travel\/2017\/07\/28\/venezuela-sees-delta-avianca-halt-flights-to-country-amid-political-and-economic-turmoil.html<\/a><\/p>\n Avianca has completely suspended all flights to and from Venezuela, while some South American countries are expanding visas for Venezuelans who are leaving the country.<\/p>\n In addition to all of this, Venezuela is on the verge of defaulting on its bond payments.<\/p>\n