US military buildup off Venezuela coast stirs echoes of 1989 Panama invasion

<p>Some see anti-Noriega operation as model for deposing Maduro but others say war of bluff and intimidation is more likely option</p><p>Michael Durant watched through night-vision goggles as two 2,000-pound laser-guided bombs slammed on to the Panamanian airbase while he hovered off the country’s south coast in a Black Hawk helicopter.</p><p>“A gigantic flash, followed by a boom … [like]<em> </em>the largest lightning strike you’ve ever seen in your life<em>,” </em>the retired US army pilot recalled of the opening salvo of the Battle of Rio Hato Airfield in December 1989.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/06/venezuela-panama-invasion-trump">Continue reading...</a>