On January 3, Nicolás Maduro Moros, the former president of Venezuela, was captured by the U.S. and was moved to New York. The U.S. government accused him of corruption and abuse of power, including ties to cartels, terrorist groups, narco-terrorism, and cocaine trafficking. The strike on Venezuela, called “Operation Absolute Resolve,” involved special operations units targeting Maduro’s residence in Caracas, as reported by The New York Times. While Maduro and his wife have pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court, the move marked one of the most forceful actions by the U.S. against a sitting leader in Latin America in decades. It raises the questions of legality and rationality.
In my opinion, removing Maduro, a leader of corruption, was the right thing to do. Venezuela, a country described by the U.S Department of State as a country full of authoritarian rule, manipulation, and corruption, has begun its new era with the capture of former president Maduro. Although right now, it only causes chaos, future lives have been saved. However, the way this operation was carried out was very questionable, with President Donald Trump completely disregarding Venezuela’s sovereignty. Additionally, Trump stated after the successful operation that the United States “would at least run Venezuela temporarily and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations,” said AP News. Trump clearly framed it in a way that sounds like the U.S. will peacefully ensure a transition of power. However, Trump’s real motive behind the recent events is very clear. Given Venezuela’s vast oil resources, Trump has made it clear that he wants access to this oil. Oil has long been a crucial factor in the U.S., and Venezuela’s reserves make it a valuable target.
Ultimately, it seems more likely that the U.S. will tailor Venezuela into a place where they can easily control getting easy access to oil. This is for sure going to create prolonged opposition by countries that are at odds with the U.S., such as Russia and China. This approach challenges international law norms and fuels instability rather than peace.
The ongoing crisis right now, has to have a better way to be resolved. A way that respects national sovereignty and international law. Military action may remove a person like Maduro, but it does not fix the problems that have taken root years ago. Often, new problems are created, including international opposition and the very real possibility of civil unrest or even rebellions if large portions of the population view the intervention as U.S. domination rather than liberation. History has shown time and time again that when outside powers attempt to create change through force, the consequences can last for a long time, often leaving the occupied country in a more unstable situation. A clear example of this is the Vietnam War, during which the U.S. intervened to stop the spread of communism but instead suffered heavy casualties and prolonged the war, ultimately failing to achieve its intended goal.
In my view, President Trump’s actions were very risky and controversial. They could have long-lasting consequences far beyond the removal of a dictator. I hope that in the near future, the situation in Venezuela calms down, with the solution coming from peaceful means. Only time will tell; all we can do is just pray that nothing bad will happen.
