, Columnist
A US Venezuela Victory May Help China Gain an Edge
Striking Venezuela and taking on the world.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The daring raid that snagged Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was an awesome display of the capabilities that make the US military the world’s best by far. It serves as proof that President Donald Trump’s corollary to the Monroe Doctrine is real, and reminds us of his penchant for using force in novel, surprising ways.
Trump has, undeniably, struck down a bad leader — and struck a blow that matters in the fight for global power. Yet the raid in Caracas also raises harder questions about Venezuela’s future, the clash for influence in the Western Hemisphere, and the rules of conduct in a disordered world.