The US Seizure of Maduro: How Trump Has Transformed the World's Superpower into a Rogue State
Against the backdrop of the widespread uncertainty 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 “reclaim the petroleum resources”, there is no doubt – these actions create a profoundly disturbing precedent.
A Grim History and a New Escalation
The United States carries a troubling legacy of interference, invasion and occupation in Latin America, but the early hours of Saturday witnessed its premier large-scale offensive on the continent of South America. “American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again,” Trump proclaimed.
The choice to militarily strike another independent nation and seize its president – only a few days after he publicly sought an off-ramp – has still wider repercussions. It should alarm us all.
Deep Instability for a Nation in Crisis
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 Mr Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodríguez would do as the US says, and brushed aside conservative dissident leader and Nobel prize-winner María Corina Machado as a credible successor.
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.
The Superpower as Rogue State
A man who came to office pledging to stop foreign wars now says he is “not afraid of boots on the ground”. Renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War was not merely symbolic. He does not see the world’s superpower as a international peacekeeper; he is converting it into a rogue state.
He is convinced that the US’s might allows it to do as it wishes with minimal cost: consider the attacks in Nigeria and against Iranian nuclear sites. He claims that the oil resources of Venezuela means this most recent venture “will pay for itself”.
An Attack Without Legal Justification
George W. Bush initiated war in Iraq on a lie. But this illegal attack came without UN resolutions of any kind or the consent of the US Congress; the opposition party was kept in the dark and say they were deliberately deceived in briefings. Mr Trump doesn’t seek to bend international norms, but to destroy them.
Disregard the signal this transmits to global powers like Russia and China, and ask where the US itself is heading. While the raid allegedly resulted in the deaths of 40 Venezuelans, including civilians, no US personnel died. Mr Trump’s escalating feeling of being untouchable will likely encourage additional military gambits.
The Stated Reason Versus the Real Aims
It is widely rejected the excuse that this is about drugs. Venezuela is only a small transit route for cocaine; Mr Trump recently exonerated the past Honduran leader Juan Orlando Hernández for related criminal convictions. Mr Trump himself has been explicit that he is propelled by the lure of oil as well as machismo, the ideology of some in his administration, and the desire for glory as his support at home declines.
A Muted Global Reaction and Institutional Irrelevance
The global reaction, especially in Europe, has – with a few principled deviations – been surprisingly subdued. That’s not because of Mr Maduro’s sins, but anxiety over Mr Trump’s wrath. The firm response from UN Secretary General António Guterres was notable, but this episode highlights the waning power of international bodies.
Mr Trump’s voters who oppose foreign entanglements could still pressure him to focus on domestic issues once more – but soaring healthcare premiums, economic unhappiness and other domestic scandals increase his appetite for distraction.
We are not yet 12 months into his four-year term. The international community may regret it if they fail to speak up today, with the question of which nation is next looming.
