Might and right
The US operation in Venezuela has prompted a cautious response from Australia, exposing the difficult balance between support for Washington and the rules-based order.
The US attack on Venezuela and the high-stakes arrest of its president, Nicolás Maduro, has left Australia looking quite impotent in its rote calls for “dialogue and diplomacy”.
Canberra is not alone in its careful, muted response to the surprise operation over the weekend.
Wary of provoking US President Donald Trump, his closest allies have welcomed the outcome — Maduro’s ousting — while stopping short of endorsing the means. The UK, for example, has been at pains to insist it neither knew of nor played any role in the attack.
“The Australian Government is monitoring developments in Venezuela,” was all Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would muster on social media.
