Source: The Bulwark
by Mark Hertling
“Venezuela is not small, not simple, and not susceptible to quick, low-cost military outcomes. In geographic and demographic terms alone, Venezuela is enormous. It covers roughly 882,000 square kilometers, making it substantially larger than Ukraine (579,000 sq km) or Texas (696,000 sq km). Its population — estimated to be above 31 million people — is roughly equivalent to current wartime Ukraine and modern Texas. It is a country of sprawling mountains, dense cities, jungles, and industrial corridors where military infrastructure sits interlaced with civilian life. … A few commentators on cable news shows — eager to portray potential U.S. military action as simple and manageable — have taken to comparing a possible operation in Venezuela to Operation Just Cause, the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama to seize Gen. Manuel Noriega. The analogy is dangerously misleading.” (11/13/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/no-venezuela-is-not-a-small-latin-american-country