Donald Trump Should Stick to His Guns on Venezuela

The signals may be suggesting imminent action, though what form U.S. action against the Maduro regime would take is not entirely clear. Trump certainly could use the major military assets now stationed in the Caribbean to overthrow Maduro—or rely instead on covert action by the CIA, which Trump has authorized to conduct operations in the country. Regardless of which tool is used, however, regime change in Venezuela is a disaster waiting to happen, one that won’t achieve the president’s goals—and risks alienating a sizable chunk of his base.

U.S. President Donald Trump continues to befuddle observers around the world by refusing to conform to the usual “hawk” vs. “dove” binary. Not content with seeking peace in Ukraine this week, he’s also apparently seriously considering overthrowing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and engaging in regime change in Venezuela. As much as a third of the U.S. Navy is now stationed in the Caribbean, and there are rumors that U.S. Southern Command—the command responsible for all of Latin America—is preemptively canceling leave for troops over the holiday period.

U.S. President Donald Trump continues to befuddle observers around the world by refusing to conform to the usual “hawk” vs. “dove” binary. Not content with seeking peace in Ukraine this week, he’s also apparently seriously considering overthrowing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and engaging in regime change in Venezuela. As much as a third of the U.S.