Raúl Castro tells Maduro to get tough

So we see Maduro return and start a ruthless attack against the National Assembly, including the use of the fake Supreme Court justices to take down the opposition's veto proof majority. 

 I believe Maduro's disappearance from public view was caused by a visit to Cuba, to receive advice (orders?) from Raúl Castro and his Venezuela experts. 

To figure out Maduro's behavior you have to think of him as being guided by Cuban military and intelligence personnel coordinated by Raul's son, Alejandro "el Tuerto". Alejandro is said to be somewhat of a psychopath, with average intelligence, and raised as a princeling. I've met these new generation communist oligarchs, they truly resemble 15th century nobility. 

Alejandro Castro Rus, current head of Cuban 

dictatorship security and intelligence services

Unfortunately for Venezuelans, the information and suggestions Raúl is receiving from his people embedded in the Chavista regime are all filtered and shaped by Alejandro. My guess is that Raúl, Alejandro, and their nomenklatura feel they can have Maduro get away with anything. Why? Because Latin American, European, and other nations, and Obama, are being quite friendly towards their dictatorship in spite of its continuous human rights abuses. 

Obama's badly conceived move to befriend 

Castro has misfired because it encouraged the 

tyrant to move against Venezuelan democracy 

This means Venezuelans are about to face relentless Stalin/Hitler type repression, carried out by desperate thugs who know no limits and are convinced that eventually they'll regain full control...and get away with everything.

Leopoldo Lopez, opposition leader condemned 

to 14 years for protesting Maduro's policies

The following links provide an excellent overview of the ongoing struggle

http://daniel-venezuela.blogspot.com.es/2015/12/judicial-coup-Venezuela-annulling-assembly-majority.html

http://devilexcrement.com/2015/12/31/stage-set-for-first-constitutional-constitutional-clash-in-venezuela/

Most articles in the English media report the wrong figures. The opposition won 112 seats versus 55 for the socialists. We are also seeing very few comprehensive updates. 

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/12/opposition-wins-majority-venezuela-legislature-151207051359021.html

http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelan-socialists-fight-election-opposition-lawmakers-232123519.html

Meanwhile the Roberto Rincon corruption case keeps unfolding. This case is relevant because it could allow tracing millions of dollars stolen and laundered by the Chavista upper caste and their boligarchs. Some of this money was used to finance political parties and buy positive media coverage in the USA, Europe, and elsewhere. 

http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-usa-corruption-idUKKBN0U50EE20151224