Villainy in Venezuela

By sending troops to Venezuela to shore up dictator Nicolás Maduro, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has crossed yet another line — the Monroe Doctrine, practically the oldest principle of US foreign policy. Declared by President James Monroe back in 1823 to block European colonialism in the New World, the doctrine declares that interference by Old World nations in the Western Hemisphere is “the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States.” The Russian soldiers won’t make much difference: Indeed, they’ll add fuel to the burning popular rage against Maduro — who, with predecessor Hugo Chavez, has led Venezuela to disaster. Yet Moscow’s move is a blatant challenge to Washington. Unanswered, it will make not just President Trump but America look weak. More…