The Colombian president deserves better treatment. Mr. Duque has been the Trump administration’s most steadfast regional partner in pressuring the regime in neighboring Venezuela. His government is struggling to cope with over 1.3 million Venezuelans who have fled to Colombia. As the United States presidential campaign picks up steam, United States-Colombia ties are in danger of becoming “ re-narcotized ,” which would undermine efforts in recent years to broaden the bilateral agenda.

The Trump administration’s approach toward Venezuela and Cuba should be distinguished from issues of nationwide concern such as immigration, drugs, and trade. Still, there is little question that domestic politics, largely focused on South Florida, is a key element helping to shape policy. More ideological factors, advanced less by Mr. Trump himself and more by his national security adviser, John Bolton, and Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, are also relevant.

The Trump administration’s sustained pressure on the Venezuelan dictatorship, carried out in concert with hemispheric and European allies, has rightly provided badly needed support for a democratic transition to a beleaguered Venezuela. But the United States’ agenda in Venezuela is tightly linked to the administration’s pursuit of regime change in Cuba, as Mr. Bolton has repeatedly made clear. Though in Latin America there is no love lost for the Cuban regime, the region is more cautious about Cuba than Venezuela. Most Latin Americans consider the past six decades of United States policy toward Cuba (aside from the two-year opening under Obama) to be a failure and strongly oppose any new threats and punishments.

To be sure, infelicitous phrases by Mr. Trump and other senior administration officials like, “All options are on the table,” and, “I wish Nicolás Maduro and his top advisers a long, quiet retirement, living on a nice beach somewhere,” may draw cheers, help deliver votes, and generate money in a critical swing state in 2020. But they also evoke possible military action and, as a result, risk weakening or dividing the broad coalition that has been forged on Venezuela.

To preserve this coalition — a major asset for the United States’ Venezuela policy — the Trump administration needs to keep its posturing for electoral purposes in check. Invoking the “socialism” boogeyman in Venezuela as a way to attack the Democratic Party for its health care and New Green Deal proposals shows how the hemisphere’s worst crisis could be used in the presidential campaign.

It would be naïve to call for a moratorium on theatrics as November 2020 looms. Playing on domestic politics with Latin American issues may work for President Trump as he pursues a second term. Still, it is crucial not to completely lose sight of the national interest, which means investing wisely in Central America and cooperating closely with Mexico. Mr. Trump needs to stick with the broad coalition on Venezuela, eschew any suggestion of military action there and any reference to regime change in Cuba.

These issues should command bipartisan support. If not handled well, they could have consequences for the United States policy in the region for decades to come.