By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
As a student of history, I was greatly surprised Saturday morning when President Donald Trump announced to the world that U.S. military forces had invaded Venezuela to capture that country’s president and his wife to bring them to this country to answer federal indictments as accused narco-terrorists.
But I was shocked when he also said that the U.S. would be “running” that South American nation until a new national government could be established and the nation’s oil-based economy could be rebuilt.
More than 100 persons have been killed in American attacks on suspected drug smugglers based in Venezuela but those actions happened on the high seas.
Trump said military intervention was ordered to assist U.S. law enforcement with the arrests of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia. He also made passing reference to the 203-year-old Monroe Doctrine, a U.S. foreign policy announced by President James Monroe in 1823.
That bold declaration warned European powers against further colonization or interference in the Americas, declaring the Western Hemisphere a separate sphere of influence for the U.S.
Trump noted several times in his press conference that Venezuela had nationalized the property of American oil companies 25 years ago but had let its “stolen” oil industry infrastructure deteriorate, losing its strong position in the global economy, despite having the largest oil reserves in the world.
He promised that U.S. oil companies would rebuild the country’s oil industry for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.
Shortly after the press conference in Florida, Maduro’s newly-appointed vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, said Maduro was the country’s legitimate leader. She also called on the nation to take up arms to resist the Americans.
In another surprise, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that Cuba could be America’s next liberation target since its economy is failing because of poor leadership.
U.S. congressional leaders were not told in advance of the pre-dawn military operation and no declaration of war had been approved, as required by federal law.
Trying to force a regime change in a third world country can be disastrous, as we learned during 20 years of fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. That adventure cost us the lives of 2,456 service members, the wounding of 20,700 more, the deaths of 3,846 civilian contractors and total expenditures exceeding one trillion dollars.
Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.
