The weekend arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro marks a rare moment when American power was used decisively, strategically, and unapologetically in defense of U.S. interests and human freedom – and there are at least 10 reasons to cheer it.
1) President Trump has done what previous administrations – including Trump 45 – only talked about doing: The raid opens the door to a restoration of constitutional order, democracy, freedom, and prosperity to Venezuelans repressed by the vicious, kleptocratic, technically incompetent, socialist (but I am redundant) regime launched by Hugo Chavez in a coup and continued by Maduro. With U.S. follow-through and support, the Venezuelan diaspora can return to their home country and build it back to what it once was: the most prosperous nation in the region. Plus, it will likely become a strong ally of the United States and other countries committed to freedom and capitalism in our hemisphere.
2) The “war on drugs” has been only a metaphor over the last 45 years. No longer. This operation goes to the source; border control tightens interdiction; and ICE operations in urban centers have disrupted the distribution of drugs. It won’t end illegal narcotics on our streets – but it’s a muscular move against a scourge that costs tens of thousands of American lives.
3) The political left’s regional alliance with drug cartels is looking like a bad bet. The presidents of Mexico and Colombia are likely in meetings as you read these words discussing the risks of their current arrangements and perhaps recalibrating their strategy in a way more helpful to the U.S. in the fight against drug cartels.
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