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Guest Essay

By Jimmy Story

Mr. Story is a retired U.S. ambassador to Venezuela and a founding partner of Global Frontier Advisors.

Venezuela has been commandeered by a group of criminals masquerading as a government. A nation that continues to be run by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies will continue to sow instability, encourage migration and enable illegal armed groups that endanger the United States. A free and democratic Venezuela, on the other hand, could be a source of stability and economic growth for the entire hemisphere.

If, as the Trump administration has laid out in its new National Security Strategy, there is to be a renewed focus in the Western Hemisphere, then restoring democracy in Venezuela must be a top priority. Mr. Maduro has presided over a narco-trafficking boom and allowed armed criminal groups to operate within Venezuelan borders; he has cultivated relationships with other authoritarians; he is under investigation by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity; he has........

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