Venezuela: the upending of values and another warning to Europe
The stunning military operation conducted by the United States on 2 January to remove Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro sends an unmistakable message: the Monroe Doctrine is back and the US will not tolerate external powers exerting control in Latin America. However, the consequences of the US intervention in Venezuela extend far beyond the Americas. In particular, China has expanded its influence in Venezuela since 2008, when the global financial crisis and collapsing oil prices threatened the regime of Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez. In exchange for some $60 billion in loans, China ben...