The US Is Doing the Dirty Work That Latin America’s Leaders Wouldn’t

Removing Venezuela’s dictator introduced “Trump’s Corollary” in Latin America with an exclamation point.

The White House’s updated take on the Monroe Doctrine had its baptism of fire on Saturday, when US forces captured Nicolás Maduro at his Caracas stronghold, decapitating the Chavista regime responsible for bankrupting one of the world’s richest oil nations. Less than a month after Washington unveiled a new National Security Strategy pledging to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere — by force if necessary — Maduro and his wife are on their way to New York to face “narco-terrorism” charges. Capped by Donald Trump’s subsequent vow to temporarily run Venezuela outright, this day will feature in history books for decades.