The Washington Post editorial board on Saturday broke with the predictable Democrat response of condemning President Donald Trump’s capture of embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores and called the military operation “a major victory for American interests.”
In an editorial titled “Justice in Venezuela,” the board wrote:
Millions of people around the world, most of all in Venezuela, are celebrating the downfall of the dictator Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump’s decision to capture him on Saturday was one of the boldest moves a president has made in years, and the operation was an unquestionable tactical success. The next step is ensuring that this triumph sets Venezuela up for stability and prosperity rather than more of the same, or worse.
The Post board also praised the U.S. national security assets, writing, “What happened in Caracas was a clear reminder that America’s military, intelligence and cyber capabilities are second to none.”
The board continued:
This is a major victory for American interests. Just hours before, supportive Chinese officials held a chummy meeting with Maduro, who had also been propped up by Russia, Cuba and Iran. No doubt millions of Venezuelans will remember who backed their oppressor and who effected his removal. But the end of Maduro will be a failure if it doesn’t also corrode the influence of American adversaries in this hemisphere.
The newspaper also cited Saturday’s news conference at Mar-a-Lago, saying a message was sent there as well.
“Trump had telegraphed for months that Maduro could not remain in power, yet Venezuela’s illegitimate leader clung on,” the board wrote. “What are Iranian leaders thinking now as they consider how to respond to widespread anti-government protests?”
It added, “Are the communists in Cuba sleeping well after Secretary of State Marco Rubio put them on notice Saturday?”
But the newspaper also cautioned the president, saying he would be “wise to reconsider” not supporting Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado as the next president. It advised against backing the country’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
The board wrote that “Trump foolishly claimed” Machado is not respected in the country, but “does he think Maduro’s handpicked vice president does?” It wrote that Trump “often shoots from the hip in these press conferences” and should reconsider Machado.
“Empowering a Maduro flunky would be an unforced error with catastrophic consequences,” it cautioned.
The newspaper also pointed out that Maduro essentially blew it by badly underestimating Trump’s resolve when it came to Venezuela.
“Trump offered Maduro several off-ramps,” it wrote. “He could have retired and lived a luxury lifestyle in Moscow or Minsk. Instead, he will probably die in prison. It’s an all-time miscalculation.”
The board also acknowledged “there are also legitimate legal questions about the operation, though Maduro was viewed as a criminal by both Trump and Biden, who raised the reward to $25 million for information leading to his arrest.”
It said that not giving lawmakers a heads up because of concerns about leaks is “a stretch.”
The board concluded that “tough decisions” and “many obstacles” remained ahead.
“Yet it’s also fair to celebrate,” editorial writers continued. “For years, Maduro was a symbol of the false warmth of Latin American collectivism. Now he should spend the rest of his life in a humane American prison. His downfall is good news.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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