Maduro Is Changing Up Where He Sleeps at Night

As threats from the US grow more intense, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been projecting a nonchalant, what-me-worry? persona in public. It's a much different story in private, reports the New York Times. The story, based on interviews with multiple insiders, ticks off two examples:

• "Maduro has tried to protect himself from a potential precision strike or a special-forces raid by frequently changing sleeping locations and cellphones," per the story.
• And to "reduce the risk of betrayal," he has "expanded the role of Cuban bodyguards in his personal security detail and attached more Cuban counterintelligence officers to Venezuela's military."

Maduro's main strategy, however, seems to be a hope that he can outlast President Trump. The story notes that the US president also wanted Maduro out of power during his first term in DC, but the Venezuelan leader survived the pressure. Whether he can do so again is unclear. The two leaders spoke by phone last week, and the Miami Herald reports that Trump delivered a blunt ultimatum: Step down quickly to ensure safe passage out of the country for you and your family. Otherwise, all bets are off.