In the tense power struggle between the two claimants to Venezuela’s leadership, current president Nicolás Maduro and national assembly chairman Juan Guaidó, the military is a key decision-maker. Guaidó has publicly urged the military to defect from Maduro and “join the reconstruction of Venezuela,” but so far it appears to be sticking by Maduro’s side. Top military figures benefit greatly from the status quo; they control and profit from the country’s ports, public contracts and state-owned oil company. The question then emerges of whether key generals are truly loyal to Maduro or if they’re simply waiting for a better deal from the opposition. University of Chicago Associate Professor of Political Science and Interim Director of the Center for Latin American Studies Michael Albertus made that suggestion recently in The New York Times. He joins us to talk about the history of democratic transitions in the region and what could happen next.