In part, because intervention is more costly in reality than on paper and in part because rebuilding after a foreign intervention is difficult.
foreignaffairs.com/articles/venez…
This is not the problem. The problem is what comes *after*.
But why would the US be needed for rebuilding? Couldn't Venezuela do this itself?
@QuicoToro pointed this out back in February: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
Panama and Grenada are nothing like Venezuela in terms of their geography, state security apparatuses, or importantly, institutions.
washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-ca…
1. Trying to change a foreign regime generally fails, especially when the outside power is attempting to build new domestic institutions.
2. Policymakers think interventions are easy, which leads to poor planning.
and...
So, state capacity and institutional strength are key to reconstruction efforts. This bodes poorly for Venezuela.
Venezuela isn't Iraq or Libya--it may be WORSE.
As I wrote back in January, Venezuela's weak institutions and low stateness would require a sustained institution-building project to achieve stability.
Venezuela's situation is dire, but any plan to remove Maduro and his cronies must also consider what comes next. FIN