Venezuelan Opposition Leader Reportedly Discussed Investment Opportunities With U.S. Business Leaders

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado reportedly discussed investment opportunities with U.S. business leaders last month, according to a new report.

Semafor detailed that the meeting took place last month during the IMF-World Bank meetings and was organized by Barclays. Citing Rafael de la Cruz, the director of the U.S. office of Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, recognized by the Trump administration as the legitimate winner of last year's presidential elections, the outlet added that the meeting was attended by investment firms and hedge funds

"We have been in touch with several companies that are showing more and more interest in the possibility of opening up Venezuela for business," de la Cruz said.

In another passage of the article, Semafor noted that UBS's chief investment office published a memo focusing on "visualizing the day after tomorrow" in the South American country.

"Venezuela's transition away from Chavismo could unlock major opportunities," largely due to its vast oil reserves and "severely underutilized economy," the document added.

In this context, former Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis assigned a 70% chance of the U.S. conducting land strikes in Venezuela.

Speaking to CNN, Stavridis said the only "limiting factor at this point from a military perspective" is the fact that the "carrier USS Ford is not yet on station." "It will take them maybe 7 days to get on station. Then all the pieces are in place. The Pentagon will say the table is set for strikes. I think at that point President Trump has a big decision to make," the former admiral added.

Stavridis went on to predict that, should the administration effectively carry out strikes, "they are probably not going to, at least immediately, go after leadership targets" but "confine" them "to where the drugs are coming from."

"Then turn to Maduro and say 'last exit before the tunnel,'" Stavridis concluded.

While the USS Ford, the Navy's largest aircraft carrier, continues heading to the Caribbean, U.S. troops continue conducting strikes and drills signaling willingness to oust the regime.

Last weekend, U.S. Marines conducted landing drills in Puerto Rico. In a social media post, the Southern Command said Marines conducted "training operations in Puerto Rico" in support of the mission, which is focused on president Trump's "priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking."

U.S. forces have also been upgrading an abandoned naval base from the Cold War in the territory, according to a new report, which could support operations against the regime.