Nicolás Maduro is under immense pressure — cornered, scared, almost down but not done. In this context, he is pleading for military aid from Russia, Iran, and China, while seeking diplomatic cover from Qatar.

Once again, the tyrant of Miraflores is playing his cards in the face of an intimidating and inevitable end.

President Trump has taken the war on drugs to the next level. More than 15 kinetic strikes, 64 drug traffickers killed, 16 boats destroyed and the largest naval deployment since Operation Just Cause, which ousted Panamanian narco-dictator Manuel Noriega. The threat of powerful drug cartels requires a powerful and unprecedented response.

Faced with the inevitable, Maduro has sought support in Qatar as well. Doha has played a leading role in the Gaza-Israel peace agreement and the peace accords between Congo and Rwanda.

For several weeks, Qatar has also tried to mediate between Maduro........

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