5 THINGS ABOUT TRUMP & GUNBOAT TACTICS

1 WHY NOT INVADE VENEZUELA?

As a meeting last August in the Oval Office to discuss sanctions on Venezuela, Trump turned to his top aides and asked: With a rapidly unravelling Venezuela threatening regional security, why can’t the U.S. just simply invade?

2 DID IDEA GO OVER?

The suggestion stunned those present, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, both of whom have since left the administration. According to a senior administration official, McMaster and others explained to Trump how military action could backfire and risk losing hard-won support among Latin American governments to punish President Nicolas Maduro for taking Venezuela down the path of dictatorship.

3 DID HE LET IT DIE?

Trump pushed back. He pointed to what he considered past cases of successful gunboat diplomacy, like the invasions of Panama and Grenada in the 1980s. The next day, Trump alarmed friends and foes alike with talk of a “military option” to remove Maduro from power. Shortly afterward, he raised the issue with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

4 WAS THAT THE END OF IT?

In September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Trump discussed it again in a private dinner with leaders from four Latin American allies that included Santos.

5 HOW DID MADURO RESPOND?

Trump’s bellicose talk provided the unpopular leader with an immediate if short-lived boost ashewastryingto escape blame for widespread food shortages and hyperinflation.