After the US attack on Venezuela and capture and extraction of president Nicolas Maduro, one thing is for sure: spheres of influence are back. I’ve suggested before that this idea that great powers exert varying degrees of dominance over their “near abroad” never really went away. Now there’s no doubt.
There has been plenty of commentary that Washington’s move will have delighted Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the grounds that he will no longer have to justify their invasion of Ukraine (“well, you did it too”). Also, that this may spur Chinese President Xi Jinping to act more swiftly to reclaim the island of Taiwan. I don’t believe so.
First, this is because his country’s military may not quite be ready to do so by force. Second, I think a blockade may be a more probable method. Further, a top official in Beijing only recently pledged “peaceful reunification” with what China regards as a renegade province, and it also
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