Might China strike a deal to establish a military base in Venezuela? If so, what would that mean for U.S. security interests?

I ask the questions in light of Venezuelan President Nicolas ‘the Mad Rabbit‘ Maduro’s ongoing visit to Beijing. Seeking new Chinese loans to prop up his decrepit, hyperinflated economy, Maduro is in full begging mode. After all, he’s run out of options. Venezuela’s children are starving, and its men and women (even the most educated) are trying to find any meager employment. Many others are relying on Colombian kindness or prostituting themselves. Even Maduro and all his cronies are now feeling the pressure. That makes Hugo Chavez’s successor much likelier to accept a high Chinese price for any new loans.