It seems Hugo Chavez has been talking tough. Strategypage brushes on some of the territorial claims. Quite a list of Caribbean tourist spots, not to mention a couple of neighbors.
That said, I do not think there is much that could be done if Hugo did decide to use force. Guyana would be quickly overrun. Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are all within range of Venezuelan air cover, especially the new Su-30s they are buying. The Dutch have no carriers, and no real way to project air power. That sort of situation tends to end very badly. Ask Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, commanding officer of Force Z. You'll need to find a real version of Melinda Gordon to talk to him - he went down with the Prince of Wales.
And while Hillary may have Guyanans in her constituency, she is also running for President - and the Democratic base across the country is largely anti-war and they also tend to be more favorable to leftist Latin American dictators than they are to the United States.
Latin America is going to get interesting.
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The Dutch have no carriers, and no real way to project air power. That sort of situation tends to end very badly. Ask Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, commanding officer of Force Z. You'll need to find a real version of Melinda Gordon to talk to him - he went down with the Prince of Wales.
Even if the Dutch did have carriers, Nelson's dictum "A ship's a fool that fights a fort" comes to mind. It's much easier to sink a ship than it is to sink an airfield.
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