From Democracy Digest:

Cuban security officials are a critical ingredient of Nicolas Maduro’s ability to retain power. So, as the Trump administration increases pressure on Venezuela’s pretender president, it must also do the same against Cuba, analyst Tom Rogan writes for the Washington Examiner.

But Venezuela’s endgame is closer than Maduro thinks, analyst James Stavridis writes for Bloomberg.

Venezuela, already known as the most corrupt country in Latin America, added to the dubious distinction last year, entering the list of the world’s top five most corrupt nations, according to Transparency International’s 2019 analysis, The Miami Herald reports.

Moscow has become the main lifeline for the Venezuelan regime, providing billions in loans and buying most of the country’s oil output, notes analyst Frida Ghitis. According to the State Department’s Venezuela point man, Elliott Abrams, Russia is handling 70 percent of Venezuela’s oil and not only finances the sales, but helps quietly ship it and hide it from international sanctions.

Read the full perspective here.