Venezuela is exploding right now in violence, in the wake of wannabe-dictator Nicolas Maduro’s attempt to dissolve the elected legislature and his imprisonment of political rivals. His regime is even now arming gangs of Red Shirts to violently suppress massive protests against his socialist regime. The Bolivarian Republic’s economy is swooning, its people are starving and fleeing, shortages of basic food and medical items remain acute, and the government has just expropriated General Motors’ plant there.

The world’s eyes are on President Trump, as the leader of the nation that has, ever since the Monroe Doctrine, felt a special duty toward enforcing the stability and independence of the Western Hemisphere. And unfortunately, Trump has a small conflict: