A president who repeatedly claims to have ended several wars across the world and pitches himself as the one who deserves Nobel Peace Prize has now resorted to strikes on Venezuela. Equally shocking is the image of the Venezuelan president being shown in a New York jail, handcuffed and paraded before cameras as if this was a routine law-enforcement action rather than a dramatic act of international coercion. These scenes mark a dangerous moment for the global order and raise serious questions about the United States’ commitment to international law.
The shock deepened when President Trump announced that the US would effectively run Venezuela, declaring that he would “designate people” from his cabinet to take charge. It mounts to an open declaration of external control over a sovereign nation. Even by the standards of past interventions, the language was startlingly blunt and dismissive of Venezuela’s independence.Washington had sought to justify the attacks and seizure of President Nicolás Maduro on the grounds of drug trafficking and criminal charges. Yet Trump’s own words reveal a far more strategic and economic motive. His emphasis on Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, and his promise that major US oil companies would move in to fix infrastructure and sell large amounts of oil, exposes the real prize. The claim of combating narcotics rings hollow when set against such explicit resource ambitions.Through this action, the US has set a deeply troubling precedent. If a powerful country can launch strikes, seize a sitting president, and announce control over another state’s administration, the foundations of the international system are seriously weakened.
Today it is Venezuela; tomorrow it could be any country whose resources or politics displease a stronger power.China and Russia have strongly condemned the US action while some other influential countries have responded in a more muted tone, saying they are “monitoring the situation,” a cautious stance that reflects unease but also a reluctance to confront Washington directly. Venezuela is an independent country, and only its people and their chosen political representatives have the right to govern it.No outside force, however powerful, has the moral or legal authority to impose its will through military force.The US must demonstrate respect for international law. The world is already exploding with conflicts, from Europe to the Middle East. Acts like this will not bring stability but only open door to more conflicts and a more dangerous global future.
