🔗 Share this article From Superpower to Rogue State: The Implications of the US Seizure of Venezuela's Maduro Within the considerable disarray following the US strikes on Venezuela, the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro, and the declaration by Donald Trump that the US will “manage” the country and “take back the oil”, there is no doubt – this establishes a profoundly disturbing precedent. A Dark Legacy and an Unprecedented Move The United States has a grim history of interference, invasion and occupation in that part of the world, but the recent overnight operation marked its initial significant armed assault 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 state and abduct its leader – just a short time after he openly looked for a diplomatic solution – has still wider repercussions. We all have reason to be worried. 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 fraudulently won the most recent election. They now face profound uncertainty at best. Mr Trump has remarked that Maduro's second-in-command, Delcy Rodríguez would follow US instructions, and brushed aside conservative dissident leader and Nobel prize-winner María Corina Machado as a plausible replacement. However, Ms Rodríguez, now the temporary head of state, has so far sounded notes of defiance – and other elements of the headless administration are even more hardline. From Global Policeman to International Outlaw A man who came to office vowing to end foreign wars now says he is “not afraid of boots on the ground”. Redesignating the Department of Defense as the Department of War was a substantive signal. He does not see the world’s superpower as a global policeman; he is converting it into a renegade nation. He believes that the US’s might permits it to do as it wishes with minimal cost: observe the attacks in Nigeria and against Iranian nuclear sites. He claims that Venezuelan oil means this new undertaking “will be financially free”. A Move Devoid of International Legitimacy George W. Bush launched the invasion of Iraq on a lie. But this action without legal basis came absent any United Nations mandate or authorization from lawmakers; key legislators received no advance notice and say they were deliberately deceived in briefings. Mr Trump aims not merely to stretch international norms, but to shatter them. Put aside the implication this carries to leaders in Moscow, Beijing, and beyond, and consider the destination for America itself. While the raid reportedly killed 40 Venezuelans, including civilians, not a single US soldier was lost. Mr Trump’s escalating feeling of being untouchable will almost certainly fuel further adventurism. The Stated Reason Versus the Real Aims Few believe the pretext that this is related to the drug trade. Venezuela is only a small transit route for cocaine; Mr Trump recently granted clemency to the former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández for related criminal convictions. Mr Trump himself has stated plainly that he is propelled by the lure of oil as well as a desire to project strength, the ideology of some in his administration, and the desire for glory as his standing with the American public falters. Tepid International Response and Waning Global Governance The worldwide reception, especially in Europe, has – with a few principled deviations – been surprisingly subdued. That’s not a result of Mr Maduro’s sins, but fear of Mr Trump’s wrath. The firm response from UN Secretary General António Guterres was welcome, but this episode underscores the waning power of international bodies. Mr Trump’s anti-interventionist domestic base 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. Barely 12 months into his time in office. The international community may come to rue the day if they fail to speak up today, given what – and who – could be next.