Countries in the Americas voted Monday to activate a regional defense treaty against Venezuela, responding to a request by the United States, which is seeking to topple leftist president Nicolas Maduro. The United States earlier this month invoked the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, known by its Spanish acronym TIAR, as it denounced “bellicose” moves by Venezuela. It pointed to Venezuela’s alleged support for Colombian armed groups that rejected a peace deal, as well as Venezuelan troop movements in exercises near the border.
