Greetings from the four corners of the world. Once again, we had a plan for what we wanted to write about this week, but the world scene decided otherwise; we had to adjust our goggles and change our route as the course of life in Venezuela took a sharp turn. The US鈥� arrest of Venezuelan President Nicol谩s Maduro is sparking interpretations and emotions from across the globe, so let us go on a tour 鈥� a media watch, as we called it back in the day.

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– NewsNation

– PBS News Hour

A history of intervention

Before we dive into this most recent intervention, it is important to look at the US鈥� history in Latin America. This is not the first time the US has invaded a South American country for regime change or to exploit wealth. There are many examples throughout the 20th century, divided into two sections: pre-World War II (WWII) and post-WWII. 

The first period was when the US鈥檚 aims were explicitly imperialist. This period included the Spanish鈥揂merican War in 1898, which secured Cuba and the Philippines under America鈥檚 influence. Additionally, in 1903, the US waged a similar war against Colombia, Venezuela鈥檚 neighbor and a former member of Gran Colombia, to secure Panama and construct the Panama Canal.

via shutterstock

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The second period was explicitly about ideology: The US ran a campaign of political repression and supported fascists, juntas and right-wing dictators in the name of stopping the spread of Communism. This included overthrowing democratically elected governments at the behest of private companies, such as in Guatemala, to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba and the complicated Iran鈥揅ontra deals.

But by far the largest of these coups was Operation Condor, a prolonged series of campaigns that affected nearly every state in South America. This group of coups includes the bombing of Chile鈥檚 capital, the military dictatorship in Brazil and the support of human rights violations across the continent.

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On Saturday, January 3, US Special Forces carried out a raid in Caracas, capturing President Nicol谩s Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The Venezuelan leader faces US federal charges in the Southern District of New York, which include narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine trafficking conspiracy and weapons charges. These events followed months of rising tensions, resulting from numerous strikes on boats allegedly transporting narcotics to the US, seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers and a military buildup on Venezuela鈥檚 coast. 

Following the raid, Trump asserted that the US would 鈥渞un鈥� Venezuela until a 鈥渟afe, proper and judicious transition鈥� of power could occur. At a press conference and in subsequent remarks, Trump framed the operation as not only a law-enforcement action but a broader US responsibility to oversee the country during a period of political transition to ensure that Maduro鈥檚 departure did not leave a power vacuum or allow 鈥渟omeone else鈥� hostile to Venezuelan or US interests to take control.

Despite current tensions in the region, the US has continued to stir the geopolitical pot when it seized two Russian oil tankers with links to Venezuela in the North Atlantic and Caribbean, further escalating tensions with Russia. 

In the aftermath of the operation, many world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, have welcomed the end of the Maduro regime. These states agree with the US and acknowledge Maduro鈥檚 lack of legitimacy. However, they criticize the US鈥檚 military action, emphasizing the importance of upholding international law. 

While many Venezuelan citizens celebrate, European and Latin American countries, as well as China, Russia and Iran, have condemned the use of force against a sovereign nation, and have encouraged using diplomatic measures to prevent further escalation. 

The global response to the Venezuela raid demonstrates two contrasting approaches to international order: one focused on institutional rules and legal restraint, and the other on strategic calculations and the perceived benefits of decisive action. As the political transition in Venezuela remains uncertain, the diplomatic and geopolitical repercussions of the operation continue to resonate across the hemisphere and beyond.

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Domestically, the reactions to Trump鈥檚 act have been similarly vicious. Democrats decried the act, many calling it imperialism and a blatant attempt to extract oil from Venezuela, something Trump has confirmed. Republicans, Trump鈥檚 party, rushed to defend the strike, asserting that it was a justified act of law enforcement and that officials needed to remove dictator Maduro.

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More importantly, this signals what many experts are calling a breach of the US Constitution. Under the law, Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war, something the invasion of a foreign nation and the capture of their head of state certainly sounds like.

Trump, who has grown more and more authoritarian through his two presidencies, does not seem to care and has even begun sabre-rattling against Greenland against the wishes of his party鈥檚 senior leadership.

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However, this is far from the first time a US president has used the military without congressional approval. The Korean War, for instance, was initiated by President Harry Truman, who framed the conflict as a policing action. President Richard Nixon, despite congressional opposition, invaded Cambodia and received a second term as a result.

Things became more complicated after 9/11. Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which granted presidents vast power and privilege over armed forces, allowing them to be deployed at the president鈥檚 discretion, so long as the executive branch believed there was a clear and pressing danger to American lives.

Originally only targeted against the organizations responsible for the 9/11 attacks, the authorization has never been rescinded and has been broadly interpreted well beyond its original scope. Every president since has heavily used the AUMF to deploy American troops in numerous foreign countries across the world.

As of the writing of this newsletter, the US Senate has voted to halt further military action in Venezuela, 52-47. The vote was unanimous among Democrats, with several Republicans also supporting the action. As with all things, we will see what comes of this vote and whether officials will enforce it over time.

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In short, this latest attack on a South American country is alarmingly common from a US perspective.