Been There, Done That: Lessons From Past Interventions

President Trump’s shifting statements on Venezuela - alternating between suggestions of prolonged U.S. involvement and signals of a rapid exit - underscore a familiar dilemma in American statecraft. Whether Washington ultimately stays, leaves quickly, or attempts something in between, the United States once again faces the enduring challenge of how military pressure, political authority, and economic stabilization intersect in moments of intervention.

This uncertainty is not new. In virtually every American intervention, civilian and military leaders have struggled to translate the application of force into a sustainable political order. Debates over duration, scope, and exit strategies have accompanied U.S. actions abroad from the outset. Success has never been automatic.

If the objective is lasting strategic success, one that improves outcomes for Venezuela while advancing U.S. national security interests, the administration should consider some lessons from American history. Since the Mexican–American War, the United States has undertaken more than 17 major military interventions overseas. While history does not repeat itself, it often rhymes, and many hard-earned lessons have faded from public memory.

Across these cases, durable outcomes and a “proper transition” has tended to rest on several recurring elements.