Outside the Beltway

More of the wit and wisdom of the 45th President of the United States.

With his attempt to overthrow the government clearly a failure, Juan Guaidó is back to calling for foreign military intervention in Venezuela.

The ongoing apparent attempted coup in Venezuela is already leading to talk of American intervention in the event of a crackdown. That would be unwise and unjustified.

“If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition…” — James Mattis

A lesson from Puerto Rico and further reasons why the EC is a problem.

Some context for ongoing discussions.

The key remains the military.

American military intervention in Venezuela would make the situation in that country worse, not better.

US policy is creating nonconstructive confrontation.

The self-appointed Acting President of Venezuela has said he doesn’t rule out the idea of American intervention in his country, but we should rule it out immediately.

The situation in Venezuela entered a new stage yesterday as opposition leader Juan Guaidó claimed the nation’s Presidency.

Carlos Sanchez, who portrayed Juan Valdez the unofficial ambassador of Colombian coffee for some 30 years, has died at the age of 83.

The NYT is trying to start a conversation.

Part III is here (a lot sooner than Part II was).

Republicans have set a Judiciary Committee vote for less than a day after hearing from Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

A significant advance for LGBT rights in the world’s most populous democracy.

Thankfully, they chose not to help.

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro survived an apparent, albeit amateurish, assassination attempt yesterday in what could be a sign of underlying instability in Venezuela.

Donald Trump had to be talked down from considering military intervention in Venezuela.

A thoughtful liberal argues the Justice has “altered and destroyed his legacy” by allowing Donald Trump to appoint his successor.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a populist from the left, rode a wave of populism and public disdain for the outgoing President to a landslide win in Mexico

Colombia is currently choosing its next president.

President Trump is not being bold on drugs. Instead, he is just recycling old, failed idea.

A photo in honor of Colombian congressional elections this weekend.

Administration officials are admitting that it’s likely that Russia will try to interfere in the midterm elections just as it did in 2016, but they don’t seem inclined to do anything about it.

More foreign policy amateurism.

A key step in the Colombian peace process.

Trump isn’t going to win any regional popularity awards in LA.

The FARC have disarmed. Now to the hard part.

For some reason, Joe Lieberman is apparently the front-runner to replace James Comey at the F.B.I.

Concepts, basic applications, and even a bibliography! Merry Festivus, everyone.

One of the Cold War era’s last dictators has finally died.

Mitt Romney and Donald Trump became bitter rivals for the soul of the GOP in 2016, but Romney appears to be at the top of Trump’s list for the nation’s top diplomat.

Today Colombians got to the polls to vote in a plebiscite on the FARC peace accord.

The final major piece of the negotiations between the FARC and the Colombian government appears to be in place.