The sounds of history resonate through the streets of Venezuela, a nation struggling with a crisis that feels eerily familiar, with foreign intervention looms large casting a shadow over the country’s sovereignty. The question on everyone’s mind is why Venezuela? Are we gonna see the second version of what happened to Saddam and his country?
The answer, as it often does, lies in resources. Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves, a fact that has transformed the nation into a geopolitical chessboard. The USA, with its history of intervention in Latin America, casts a long shadow, The spectre of a repeat of history hangs heavy in the air with whispers of invasion.
Current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro faces a complex web of challenges, whether economic mismanagement snd political polarization, while allegations of human rights abuses have fuelled discontent. Yet the world watches with a sense of unease. Why are we not doing anything? Why is the international community so quick to condemn Venezuela while other nations with their own complex histories are given a pass?
the hypocrisy is so obvious that even the world’s silence in the face of alleged injustices in other regions, especially when powerful nations are involved, undermines the very principles of international law, Even the United Nations, the supposed guardian of global order, seems paralyzed by the influence of superpowers just because they got more funding from the USA. Is that fair? Where is the sovereignty of nations when faced with the whims of those with might? The words of US President Donald Trump, who has hinted at his desire to “run” Venezuela is the reminder of the stakes: the world must not stand idly by. So the United Nations must take decisive action upholding the principles of international law and protecting the sovereignty of Venezuela.
The international community must respond to this act of the USA. The united nations must convene an emergency session condemning the US action and demanding Maduro’s immediate release. The International Criminal Court must launch an investigation holding those responsible for this act of aggression accountable because this is not just a Venezuelan issue, but is a test of the global order.Â
The people of Venezuela deserve a future free from foreign interference, a future where their voices are heard and their rights are respected. Even every country in the world deserves the same. The USA has no right to intervene but still it did what it wanted and the whole world watched in disbelief as news broke of the abduction of President Maduro in a shameless act of defiance of international law. US military forces stormed the presidential palace in Caracas, and took Maduro away to an undisclosed location in the USA. This act sent shockwaves across the globe, sparking a firestorm of condemnation and raising fundamental questions about the future of sovereignty: if today Venezuela, next will be us.
How could a sitting president be kidnapped? the answer, as it often does, lies in the complex interplay of power resources and a disregard for international norms by the USA with its long history of intervention in Latin America. Four times the USA has done so; once again it flexed its military might. The justification as always was couched in terms of democracy and human rights but the reality is far more complex. Venezuela with its vast oil reserves has long been a target of US interest and China is the buyer of that oil, so indirectly was it a threat to China? The kidnapping of Maduro, while a blatant violation of international law, is a very dangerous precedent that sends a message that no nation, no matter its sovereignty, is safe from the reach of the powerful.
The international community must respond to this act of the USA. The united nations must convene an emergency session condemning the US action and demanding Maduro’s immediate release. The International Criminal Court must launch an investigation holding those responsible for this act of aggression accountable because this is not just a Venezuelan issue, but is a test of the global order.
If the world allows such blatant violations of sovereignty to go unpunished it will pave the way for a future where might makes right, where the rule of law is nothing more than a suggestion. This is the time for action because the future of international law hangs in balance. The United Nations should take serious actions this time because now we are not in the early 2000s. The world has changed.
