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It Takes More Than Statements to Confront Authoritarian Regimes

It Takes More Than Statements to Confront Authoritarian Regimes
Helicopters fly past plumes of smoke rising from explosions, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 3, 2026. Screenshot via Reuters/Reuters
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Commentary
The capture of Nicolás Maduro marks a break with the assumptions that have shaped Western policy in the hemisphere for more than a decade. Sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and appeals to international norms were meant to constrain an openly criminal regime. They did not.
Scott McGregor
Scott McGregor
Author
Scott McGregor is a former Canadian Armed Forces intelligence operator and intelligence adviser to the RCMP. He is the co-author of “The Mosaic Effect: How the Chinese Communist Party Started a Hybrid War in America’s Backyard.”