Hello and welcome to background briefing, available 24-7 at background briefing.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we look into a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with the increasing likelihood that the Trump administration will attempt to take out Venezuela's Maduro

and try to avoid a war with the country's armed forces that have Russian missiles,

which could threaten American ships resulting in a catastrophe in what would be the 21st century's

equivalent of the 1898 sinking of the main. Joining us to discuss how, while it may be easy

to get rid of Maduro, it will be much harder to undo the patrity system at the top of

businessmen generals and corrupt judges, along with

collectivos of government armed vigilantes who suppress opposition activity.

Joining us is Javier Corrales, a professor of political science at Amherst College, who serves on

the editorial board of Latin American politics and society and America's quarterly,

and has also been a consultant to the United Nations, the Center for Global Development,

and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He's the author of Dragon in the Tropics, Hugo Saves and the Political Economy of Revolutionary Venezuela,

and his latest book is Autocracy Rising,

how Venezuela transitioned to authoritarianism.

And we will discuss his article at the New York Times,

how Maduro future-proofed his dictatorship.

Then we'll examine a set of policy prescriptions

the Democrats could use to go on the offensive

and take back the House and Senate in the Democrats could use to go on the offensive and take back

the House and Senate in the midterms to stop Trump's systematic and comprehensive destruction

...