Venezuela is a lesson — Africa is a test of whether we learned from it

Co-Author, Roll Call, Jan. 16, 2026

President Donald Trump’s operation in Venezuela rightly captured global attention and sent a clear message to America’s adversaries: Peace through strength is once again a governing principle, not just a slogan.

But Venezuela needs to be more than just a strong, salutary message to the world — we need to treat it as a lesson. Africa will be the test of whether we learned that lesson, and President Trump’s America First Global Health Strategy is a critical, proactive step toward ensuring that we don’t allow a problem to metastasize into an emergency once again.

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