Post by Malos10
It has probably been seven or eight years since Maduro had a face-to-face meeting with a real Venezuelan. He lives holed up among bodyguards and only appears at events with strict logistics. It is even likely that, before July 28, Maduro seriously believed he could win.
Yes, for now the regime seems to be cohesive (an important factor in its ability to avoid collapse) but that does not mean that it is acting rationally. In fact, in almost every one of its actions (especially the public appearances of Maduro and Cabello) its behavior reveals desperation.
Now, in the process of fighting to stay in power, Maduro and his accomplices have sacrificed a great number of options that could have allowed them to emerge better off. As of the night of July 28, their chances of getting away with it if he falls diminishes.
For the ruling regime, the Venezuelan state is nothing more than its weapon and Venezuelans are its bargaining chip in a permanent hostage-taking. Nothing else matters to them. There is no ideological discussion, which disappeared with the death of Chavez. For them, anything goes for power.