The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, a woman who succeeded in unifying the Venezuelan opposition and spearheading the most effective peaceful social movement against the regime of Nicolás Maduro. Her award represents yet another international setback for Maduro’s government. It comes at a time when the Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to crack down on Caribbean drug-trafficking networks while holding the Maduro regime accountable for its criminal activities.

Walter Benjamin once observed, “There is no document of civilization which is not at the same time a document of barbarism.” His insight points to the violent and bloody foundations upon which modern civilization was built: great monuments, cities, palaces, and fortifications often rose on the backs of slave labor, wars, and exploitation.

In the summer 2004, I faced a critical decision: whether to join the U.S. government as an intelligence analyst or continue my path in academia. After careful consideration, I chose the latter. I believed then—as I do now—that I could contribute more effectively to my country outside the constraints of government bureaucracy.

Twenty years of US neglect have created space for adversaries to build permanent footholds in the Western Hemisphere. Iran and other adversaries are quietly building an operational network in America’s backyard, one that sanctions alone cannot dismantle.