War clouds: On the U.S. and Venezuela

Donald Trump’s remark that Venezuela’s airspace should be considered “closed in its entirety” raised fears that the Republican “peacemaker” President may be preparing to attack the South American nation. Over the past few weeks, the U.S. has intensified pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by conducting strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific waters against alleged drug traffickers and bolstering its troop presence in the region. Washington insists that the operations are part of its ‘war on drugs’, and accuses Mr. Maduro of heading Cartel de los Soles, which the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organisation. The U.S. troop deployment includes two amphibious ready groups with over 4,500 Marines and sailors. The Pentagon has also sent aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, is hosting F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 Reaper drones, just across Venezuela’s coast. In October, the U.S. flew a pair of supersonic B-1 Lancer bombers along the coast of Venezuela. It is now evident what Mr. Trump seeks — a regime change in Caracas. And Venezuela’s right-wing opposition, led by Nobel Peace Laureate María Corina Machado, has wholeheartedly endorsed America’s plans.

Mr. Maduro, a self-styled socialist, stands accused of rigging the 2024 presidential election, and Venezuela’s economy has suffered a near-total collapse on his watch, prompting millions to flee. He shares responsibility for Venezuela’s current condition. But the U.S. is not an innocent actor either. Washington’s sanctions have been a major contributor to Venezuela’s economic crisis. In the past, U.S. and several European governments had recognised Juan Guaidó, an opposition figure, as the President in a bid to undermine the Maduro government. Venezuela has long been used as a transit route by drug traffickers from Colombia, the source of most of the world’s cocaine. Yet, the U.S. government has not produced solid evidence to link Mr. Maduro to the cartels or to drug trafficking. The attacks in the Caribbean waters killing civilians constitute a blatant violation of international law. The threats by the Trump administration against Mr. Maduro, irrespective of the character of his regime, amount to an assault on Venezuela’s sovereignty. More importantly, the U.S. seems unwilling to learn from its past mistakes. It invaded Afghanistan in 2001 only to leave 20 years later after cutting a deal with the Taliban. America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq turned out to be one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes. Mr. Trump, who claims credit for ending many wars, must step back from the brink, and seek to resolve differences with Venezuela through dialogue.