President Trump has been bringing up the idea of an invasion of
Venezuela since taking office in 2017, and his administration insists
several times a week these days that it is among the “all options on the
table” for Venezuela.
With the departure of US diplomats from Venezuela, ordered out by the Venezuelan government, the rhetoric is advancing, giving the impression that the US is increasing its planning and preparing for such a military operation.
Of course, officials are always keen to talk up attacking various
nations, and that they are giving that impression now doesn’t mean an
invasion is imminent. Rather, the US seems interested in giving that
impression.
Still, concern about this is real, enough so that the House Foreign
Affairs Committee is looking to prohibit the White House from attacking
Venezuela without Congressional approval. The administration clearly
hoped to force a regime change in Venezuela just through threats and
rhetoric, but with that looking less and less likely to work, the talk
of a war is only going to grow.
Growing Signs of US Military Planning in Venezuela
Diplomats' departure adds to speculation about a US invasion
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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