My thoughts on this whole issue are probably too nuanced and semi-contradictory to write out completely. But they are something like this....

• War is bad
• Not a fan of regime change tactics
• Extremely impressive surgical strike, basically reduced it to 45 min law enforcement operation
• This is not about "oil" or "drugs" per se, rather this is Monroe Doctrine (ie. US claims western hemisphere is its domain). In a certain sense, as we move to a multi-polar world, expect the US to become more insistent on control of western hemisphere
• The US will generally allow latin american countries a fairly wide degree of freedom, even electing socialist/communist leaders that decry the US, however will not permit them to engage in allegiances with China/Russia
• As such, this was primarily a message to China - not an accident that yesterday Chinese diplomatic officials landed and met with Maduro.
• Hopefully the US goes "more or less hands off" and allows actual elections to take place - hopefully free elections can actually occur without spiraling out of control.
• The foreign minister Lopez pictured here is sending a domestic signal of resistance. But its also a "buyout request" to the US. No doubt he will be offered the "Plomo o Plata" deal which he will probably take....