At the moment, according to US officials, “Cuban military advisors are mainstay of the Maduro regime.” One report asserts that there are about 15,000 Cubans in Venezuela. Some are counter-intelligence officers; their job is to purge any Venezuelan Army officers whose loyalty to Maduro is found suspect. Another source claims that Maduro’s personal bodyguards are also mostly Cuban. Venezuela reportedly hosts 4,500 Cuban infantry troops, with the force commanded by two Cuban generals. By Lawrence A. Franklin