Cuba and Venezuela

           

           It’s almost impossible to stay focused on a single news story these days, because there seems to be an explosion of new stories every day. Russia is big one day, then North Korea, then Isis. At home, our Texter-in Chief moves from immigration to transgenders, to health care, to tax reform, and whatever else pops into his mind at 3 o’clock in the morning. If that’s not enough we have the story of James Damore getting fired by Google eclipsed by the more gruesome story of a car plowing into protesters in Charlottesville.

            Mentioned only in passing is one story that I believe will produce many headlines in the weeks and months to come. And that is the story of what is happening in Venezuela, and what may happen if the United States tries to affect a regime change there.

            Let’s remember that Venezuela is in our backyard. And let’s remember that ever since America adopted the Monroe Doctrine as national policy, the United States has used this policy to justify armed intervention in Cuba, Panama, and Grenada. It may very well do so again in Venezuela.

            There is very good reason for the U.S. to be concerned with Venezuela. With its economy in shambles and its people starving, President Maduro has moved to establish a dictatorship and is meeting protestors with brutal force. He has been able to do this because of the full support of Cuba, which for years has been infiltrating Venezuela’s social and educational institutions and is now in control of its military. Let’s not kid ourselves: Cuba is de facto in charge of the Venezuelan government. Maduro is no more than Cuba’s puppet.

            There’s more than the fate of Venezuela at stake here. Cuba has already sunk its fangs into Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua and is looking to control all of Latin America. That’s why Cuba’s ambitions must be stopped in Venezuela. President Trump’s generals know this and are formulating plans for military intervention in that country.

            Stay tuned. This may be the next big story, one that puts all the others on the back page.