Trump’s dramatic show of force is an old-school move – and a risky one |
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The night-time raid that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro this weekend was the most dramatic demonstration of President Donald Trump’s vow to focus US might on the Americas, as the White House recreates a stance toward the Western hemisphere that more resembles its 19th-century empire-building era than the laissez-faire attitude of recent generations.
Trump and his top allies suggested that the Venezuelan operation could be the start of efforts to remake the region, warning the governments of Cuba and Colombia that they might be next. Trump and some backers have also brought up Mexico as a potential target, and they are reviving talk of attempting to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory.
President Donald Trump monitors the US military operations in Venezuela, with CIA director John Ratcliffe (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday morning.Credit: AP
After announcing Maduro’s capture, Trump boasted of the “Donroe Doctrine”, a twist on the strategy articulated by President James Monroe in 1823 that European powers should stop interfering in the Western hemisphere. The national security strategy released by the White House in December noted a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine that promised “to protect our homeland and our access to key geographies throughout the region”.
The effort carries significant risks. Washington could get pulled into the nation-building invasions that Trump has long sworn to avoid if the Venezuelan military or people are unwilling to go along with his plans. It also makes it harder for the United States to argue to Russia and China that they should steer clear of their neighbours. And it may reshape global affairs more broadly, as smaller nations that were long dependent on Washington’s guarantees for global trade and stability hedge their bets by building ties elsewhere.
Backers of Trump’s strategy downplay the drawbacks and say a narrower focus on US regional interests is long overdue.
Delcy Rodríguez (right) after being sworn in as acting president of Venezuela.Credit: Getty........