Foreign policy has always been one of the cornerstones of US politics. Its importance is so incredibly determining that many presidents’ reelection has been decided because of the performance on this matter instead of domestic issues. Understanding this reality is the key to comprehend Donald Trump’s stance against the socialist regime in Venezuela. After all, he might be close to achieving a major victory that would have historic consequences on the Western Hemisphere. All of this just a year before the next presidential election.

Correcting Obama’s foreign policy

Despite what many liberals claimed after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, the Republican has shown an incredible efficiency and coherence on foreign policy, despite the terrible mistake he made with the Syrian war. Basically, Trump corrected many of Barack Obama’s errors on this matter, with the end of the infamous Iranian deal as his main trophy. Naturally, the way he’s been dealing with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un also represents a significant difference with how Obama let the communist dictator develop his nuclear program in the name of the so-called strategic patience. Nevertheless, Trump’s triumph on this front by denuclearizing the Hermit Kingdom remains to be seen.

Another historic mistake that Trump managed to solve was the Cuban thaw, which was essentially the restoration of relations between the United States and the communist tyranny of Fidel and Raul Castro. This was probably one of the most disgraceful moments during the Obama era, given the fact that this would have been the salvation of an old and decayed dictatorship that was experiencing one of its weakest periods.

In fact, if this deal remained, it would have been a major threat to Latin America considering the way Cuba would have increased its influence all around the region, just as it did with Nicaragua and especially Venezuela.

Venezuela regime change, Trump win in Florida

In addition to China, this last nation has become the cornerstone of Trump’s foreign policy over the last few months.

He and several members of his administration such as Mike Pompeo or John Bolton have been quite vocal not only about the intention of regime change but also about the possibility of military intervention. Undoubtedly, all of this would be extremely beneficial for a once-prosperous country that is already suffering the reality of the worst kind of war through the alarming shortage of food and medicines, the highest crime rate in Latin America, and the worst migrant crisis in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

Recently, Bolton said that restoring democracy in Venezuela through regime change will mean the end of the leftist dictatorships in Nicaragua and Cuba, considering the way that the oil-rich nation supports these countries.

Trump made the same statement during a historic rally in Miami where he said that he would make the Western Hemisphere to be the first fully democratic region in the history.

Despite the fact that Trump is really making the right move, it’s absolutely impossible to hide the fact that the main reasons behind it is to get reelected, or at least securing Florida, which is one of the key states to win a presidential election. After all, considering that Cubans always vote Republican and that the number of Venezuelans has increased exponentially over the last decade, to end with the socialist tyranny will guarantee the vote of these groups.

Timing plays a major role

Getting to this point, it remains unclear if Trump would try to slow down the actions against the Maduro regime, in order to make it fall next year.

That would make even more possible his reelection, considering that the momentum would be on his side. In fact, the tragic deterioration that Venezuela would suffer during that time could be used as the easiest way to discredit the Democratic candidates that support socialism before the political event.

Of course, that would be a risky move considering the unpredictability that always characterizes the geopolitical game. This way, if Maduro falls this year, it would still be quite beneficial for Trump because of the way it would secure Florida’s victory and because it would give more power to a campaign that seems to be focused on protecting the US from the threat of socialism.

As you can see, Venezuela is another example of how a US president could get reelected by changing the political fate of a foreign country, which represents the peculiar reality of being an empire. But fortunately, this case is a win-win situation both for the Trump administration and the Venezuelan people. And if things go as predicted, it would also benefit Cubans and Nicaraguans.
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