Minimum to count as military conflict: either a combined 10 people die as part of action by either military OR a confirmed airstrike on Venezuelan soil (doesn't have to be on military targets).
Update 2025-08-28 (PST) (AI summary of creator comment): - A US Navy action against a narco-boat causing 10+ fatalities counts only if it occurs in Venezuelan waters.
Update 2025-09-03 (PST) (AI summary of creator comment): - Ambiguous location won't count: If the location of an incident is unclear or disputed, it will not count toward YES. Location must be clearly established (e.g., USN interdictions must be clearly within Venezuelan waters).
Update 2025-09-03 (PST) (AI summary of creator comment): - Only internationally recognized Venezuelan waters will count; incidents in disputed or solely Venezuelan-claimed areas (e.g., Essequibo maritime claims) will not.
Update 2025-09-03 (PST) (AI summary of creator comment): - For the narco-boat scenario, incidents only count if clearly within internationally recognized Venezuelan waters (as previously stated).
If the US and Venezuelan navies exchange fire, location is irrelevant; the Venezuelan-waters restriction does not apply to this case.
1,000I feel like there should be bonus points for PoTUS shit posting about the situation.
Not sure who should get them, but someone should...
@PaulBenjaminPhotographer if it's not clear where it happened, it won't count. I'd rather err on the side of it being clear.
@AlexanderTheGreater Internationally recognised, or also waters claimed by Venezuela through Essequibo?
This is for the narco boat scenario though. If it's both navys exchanging fire, location is irrelevant
Context for people who haven't heard about this possibility: https://www.newsweek.com/venezuela-deploys-warships-us-destroyers-2120171