The US Seizure of Maduro: How Trump Has Transformed the World's Superpower into a Rogue State
Against the backdrop of the immense confusion following the US strikes on Venezuela, the seizure of leader Nicolás Maduro, and Donald Trump's announcement that the US will “run” the country and “take back the oil”, a single fact remains evident – they set a deeply alarming precedent.
Past Interference and a New Threshold Crossed
The United States has a grim history of interference, invasion and occupation in Latin America, but this past Saturday morning saw its first major military attack on the continent of South America. “US supremacy in this hemisphere shall not be challenged from now on,” Trump proclaimed.
The move to assault another independent nation and seize its president – mere days after he stated a desire for negotiations – possesses far-reaching consequences. We all have reason to be worried.
Profound Uncertainty for Venezuela
Venezuelans have lived through a dictatorship marked by theft and failure under Mr Maduro, widely believed to have rigged the previous presidential vote. They now face a future of deep insecurity. Mr Trump has remarked that Maduro's second-in-command, Delcy Rodríguez would do as the US says, and rejected prominent critic and Nobel prize-winner María Corina Machado as a plausible replacement.
However, Ms Rodríguez, now the temporary head of state, has so far struck a defiant tone – and other parts of the decapitated regime are even more hardline.
From Global Policeman to International Outlaw
A man who was elected promising to abandon foreign wars now says he is “not afraid of boots on the ground”. Redesignating the Department of Defense as the Department of War was not merely symbolic. He fails to perceive the world’s superpower as a guardian of order; he is transforming it into a lawless actor.
He holds the view that the United States' strength permits it to do as it wishes with minimal cost: consider the attacks in Nigeria and against Iranian nuclear sites. He claims that control of Venezuela's petroleum means this latest episode “will pay for itself”.
An Attack Without Legal Justification
George W. Bush invaded Iraq on a lie. But this illegal attack came lacking any form of UN approval or the consent of the US Congress; Democrats were not even informed and say they were given false information in briefings. Mr Trump is not trying to twist international norms, but to destroy them.
Disregard the message this sends to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and others, and ask where the US itself is heading. While the raid reportedly killed 40 Venezuelans, including civilians, there were no American fatalities. Mr Trump’s growing sense of invincibility will almost certainly fuel more reckless actions.
The Stated Reason Versus the Real Aims
No one buys the pretext that this is concerning narcotics. Venezuela is only a small transit route for cocaine; Mr Trump recently granted clemency to the former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández for narcotics and arms offenses. Mr Trump himself made it clear that he is motivated by the lure of oil as well as personal bravado, the beliefs held by certain advisors, and the desire for glory as his standing with the American public falters.
World Leaders' Silence and a Weakened UN
The international response, especially in Europe, has – with notable outliers – been shockingly muted. That’s not due to Mr Maduro’s sins, but anxiety over Mr Trump’s wrath. The strong reaction from UN Secretary General António Guterres was commendable, but this episode emphasizes the UN's diminishing clout.
Mr Trump’s voters who oppose foreign entanglements could yet press him to redirect his gaze inward – but soaring healthcare premiums, economic unhappiness and ongoing controversies increase his appetite for distraction.
We are not yet 12 months into his presidential term. The international community may regret it if they fail to speak up today, with the question of which nation is next looming.
