CGTN poll: 'American-style hegemony' has fully degenerated into bully politics

By brazenly invading a sovereign state and forcibly seizing another country's president, the United States, self-styled as the "international police and judge," has arrogantly torn apart international law and the norms of international relations in a manner so outrageous that even Hollywood screenwriters would struggle to imagine it.

At the very beginning of the new year, "American-style hegemony" has sought to push the international community back toward a jungle order where might makes right. In doing so, it has degenerated into outright bully politics, exposing its true colonial nature, one defined by military conquest and the plunder of resources. 

A global poll released by CGTN shows that 93 percent of respondents strongly condemn "American-style hegemony" for its blatant violation of Venezuela's national sovereignty, while 91.7 percent express deep concern over the resurgence of the U.S. "state terrorism."

From "long-arm jurisdiction" to military intervention, from economic sanctions to regime change, "American-style hegemony" has long placed its domestic laws above international law and imposed its own will on sovereign states. According to the survey, 92.8 percent of respondents believe that the use of force by the United States against Venezuela constitutes a serious violation of the country's sovereign security, while 89 percent say that the Trump administration's actions against Venezuela severely lack legitimacy and legal justification.

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with "narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to traffic cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States." In response, 90.5 percent of respondents expressed skepticism, believing that the U.S. Department of Justice has no authority to prosecute the Venezuelan president, and that the charges lack basis. Meanwhile, 93.9 percent said that U.S. "long-arm jurisdiction" has become a tool for maintaining American hegemony, interfering in other countries' internal affairs and even overthrowing foreign governments. Additionally, 86.3 percent strongly urged the U.S. to immediately and unconditionally release the Venezuelan president.

After launching a large-scale military strike against Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declared that the United States would take over Venezuelan affairs and announced that major American oil companies would enter the country, investing billions of dollars to "repair" its oil infrastructure and generate profits. The announcement sparked an outcry in the international community. 94.3 percent of respondents believe that the true aim of the U.S. is to plunder Venezuela's oil resources, laying bare the very nature of its "resource imperialism."

Notably, since last year, the U.S. has repeatedly targeted ships suspected of drug trafficking in international waters near Venezuela, resulting in hundreds of deaths. However, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's annual report makes no mention of Venezuela in connection with cocaine trafficking. Nearly 93.7 percent of respondents believe the so-called "anti-drug" operation is merely a pretext used by the Trump administration to attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

"Today it is Venezuela; tomorrow it could be any country," Chilean President Gabriel Boric's remark reflects a widespread concern in the international community. In the survey, 86.6 percent of respondents expressed worry that more countries in Latin America and the Caribbean could face the same peril as Venezuela, while 87.8 percent indicated that U.S. actions have already posed a serious threat to peace and security in the region.

Historically, the U.S. has repeatedly used force against sovereign nations and targeted national presidents, often resulting in regional instability, social fragmentation and long-term humanitarian disasters. In the survey, 93.7 percent of respondents believe that "American-style bullying" flagrantly violates international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, severely undermining the existing international order. As a Yemeni netizen angrily remarked in a comment, "Everything happening in Venezuela is nothing but a new form of colonialism – it wears the guise of new plans and diplomatic façades, but behind it lies destruction, disaster, colonization, occupation and the exercise of hegemonic rule over peoples at minimal cost through novel methods."

The survey was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, attracting a total of 44,603 participants who voted and shared their opinions within 24 hours.