Did Argentina really prepare to attack Venezuela in 2019?

The political winds in Latin America are changing. The right-wing governments of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Mauricio Macri in Argentina may be giving way to left-leaning alternatives. Potential victories for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil and Gustavo Petro in Colombia later this year are generating talk of a new “Pink Tide.”

In Argentina, Mr. Macri’s 2019 loss to Alberto Fernández and his Peronist coalition has been followed by political and judicial investigations into the former, now that the levers of the state are under the control of Mr. Macri’s rivals. 

One such probe concerns Argentina’s weapons sales to Jeanine Añez’s Bolivia following the 2019 coup that ousted Evo Morales. Evidence regarding the sales was unearthed by incoming officials who delved into old Argentinian Armed Forces documents.

Now, another accusation has emerged. 

Investigative journalist Horacio Verbitsky revealed that the Argentinian Army held training exercises simulating an invasion of Venezuela in 2019, following the information contained in leaks by the Argentinian military itself.

According to the story, General Juan Martín Paleo led practice maneuvers in which Argentinian soldiers took part in a continental operation, with support from the Air Force and Navy, as well as from other countries in the region. 

In the leaks, countries’ identities were thinly disguised, with Venezuela appearing as “Vulcano”, Colombia as “Ceres”, Brazil as “Febo”, Argentina as “Ares”,...