Are there Russian nuclear weapons in Venezuela today? According to this article, the answer is yes. I’m not so sure myself. The sourcing in this article is from a single member of Congress who does not offer any proof to back up the claim. Still, the presence of nukes in Venezuela is a possibility that cannot be dismissed out of hand. Here’s what we do know. Some Russian troops (called “little green men” because they are uniformed in unmarked green jumpsuits) are present in Venezuela as are over 20,000 highly trained Cuban troops. Russian nuclear bombers (Tu-160s) landed in Caracas last December. It’s not clear if they carried nuclear weapons or not, but that is certainly possible. The U.S. has called for Nicolás Maduro to leave Venezuela, but Russia and Cuba (with China behind the scenes) have been instrumental in urging Maduro to stay in place. The recent “revolution in the streets” led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó failed miserably on May 1, 2019, with several casualties. The U.S. could apply force to oust Maduro (using Special Operations Command) if the only opposition came from the Venezuelan army. But with Russia and Cuban troops forming a Praetorian Guard around Maduro, the risks of escalation and direct confrontation between Russia and the U.S. are too high. The situation now is a political stalemate, but the starvation and misery of the Venezuelan people are all too real. My forecast is that the situation is not near a resolution and will get much worse before it is resolved. Markets are scarcely paying attention to this story. They should. Institutional investors can schedule a proof of concept with the world’s first predictive data analytics firm combining human and artificial intelligence with complexity science. Check out Jim Rickard’s company at Meraglim Holdings to learn more.