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Opinion | From Venezuela to Greenland, Trump is using US power to rewrite the rules
What troubles many is the inconsistency emanating from Washington. When power underwrites rules, principles become negotiable
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The recent drama surrounding US action in Venezuela, its renewed interest in Greenland and tariff threats on governments that object, along with comments on Cuba, Colombia and Mexico, appear disjointed – part diplomacy, part law enforcement, part political theatre.
Like many observers, I rely on the news to try to make sense of the policy logic and what it may mean for those who have to live with its consequences.
Washington’s rationale for its actions in Venezuela was initially framed as law enforcement against narcoterrorism. Within days of the arrest of the president and his wife, the action was reframed as a matter of safeguarding the country’s oil revenues – and ultimately increasing production capacity – in the interests of both America and Venezuela.
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The administration invoked the Monroe Doctrine, asserting that the western hemisphere should remain an exclusive sphere of US influence. It made clear its desire to prevent China and Russia from strengthening their presence in the region.
These measures signal Washington’s belief in policing the western hemisphere through tariffs, gunboats and special forces to deter external rivals, whether in the Arctic or the Caribbean. While much of the rhetoric focused on sovereignty and the rule of law, its underlying intent was unmistakably strategic: to deny China and Russia valuable footholds in Venezuela’s energy and infrastructure sectors.
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The renewed focus on Greenland as a US security priority follows a similar pattern. The US military base there is a key link in missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance. The island is also rich in critical minerals vital to digital infrastructure, energy and advanced weapons systems.
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