Those interested in a latter-day version of American imperialism, a renewal of the Monroe Doctrine, need look no further than the Jan. 3 abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores by U.S. military forces.
None of this came as a surprise to citizens who have been diligently following the Trump administration’s illegal activities in the Caribbean, most ignominiously, the killing of more than 105 so-called narco-terrorists without congressional approval. The invasion of Venezuela was a violation of international law, according to several judicial bodies, and now Maduro has been arraigned in Manhattan on a sundry of charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
Students and pundits of American attempts to bring about regime change will be reminded of the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989, and the deposing of its de facto leader, Manuel Noriega, a former informant for the CIA. In the apprehension of Maduro, the CIA is once more a prominent player, only this time in planning and surveillance, in cooperation with the Delta Force, in capturing Maduro.
The secrecy and conduct of the operation were reminiscent of the maneuvers of the U.S. Navy SEALs, tracking and killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. While the aftermath of the Venezuelan attack may not have the broader and more devastating impact of the war in Iraq, some of the implications that precipitated it — the accusation that the country was harboring “weapons of mass destruction” — are no less a rationale than Maduro on his way to federal court on charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy, and other indictments.
In our editorials and op-ed pieces, we have often noted the relationship between domestic and foreign policy under the Trump administration, and this is a fresh example. For several months, Trump had ordered troops to American cities under the pretext of their being out of control, and only recently have a few judges stepped up to stop the militarization activity.
Many Americans are concerned about the ramifications of Trump’s “Operation Absolute Resolve,” and the extent to which it will live up to his promise to rule Venezuela, particularly its oil infrastructure. However, there is already some disconcerting feedback from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Is Colombia, Mexico, or even oil-rich Nigeria part of Trump’s power grab, his “gunboat diplomacy”?
For all the evident repression we’ve heard taking place in Venezuela, from our perspective — and in this we join with most Americans — there is no justification to invade a country and abduct its president and his wife. How all of this plays out in the courtroom may offer some indication of the rule of law and the power of the Trump administration.
There is one certainty, although that’s not an absolute: Maduro, unlike Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras — a convicted narcotrafficker, will not be pardoned.