In any major diplomatic or military struggle, success requires a willingness to seize and hold the initiative. The Trump administration is showing that willingness with regards to China and the Islamic State, but not Venezuela.

Consider, for example, the Trump administration’s action on Wednesday to increase pressure on Cuba over its support for Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuelan regime. The new action has four main elements: Sanctioning some Cuban companies, allowing lawsuits by Americans who claim the Cuban communists unjustly seized their property, banning most U.S. tourist visits to Cuba, and slightly restricting Cuban American remittances to the island nation.