Might makes right? U.S. raid on Venezuela & the threat to global order

Editor's note: Imran Khalid, a special commentator for CGTN, is a freelance columnist on international affairs. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In the early hours of January 3, 2026, the international order did not just bend; it broke. The images of a blindfolded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whisked away from Caracas to a federal detention center in Brooklyn, signal something far more consequential than a mere arrest. The spectacle of a sovereign leader answering to a local magistrate in Manhattan on January 5, further underscores the reduction of international diplomacy to a domestic criminal docket.

We are witnessing the birth of a world where the strong no longer feel the need to justify their actions through law, but rather through the raw arithmetic of power and resources. This is the "Trump Corollary" in its most naked form.

The capture of a sitting head of state on his own soil, without a United Nations mandate or a declaration of war, is an unprecedented departure from the norms that have governed the planet since 1945. By framing Operation Absolute Resolve as a law enforcement action, the White House has effectively turned the U.S. judicial system into a weapon of regime change.

The logic is as simple as it is dangerous: If the U.S. indicts you, your sovereignty ceases to exist. Trump has gone so far as to call the indictment against Maduro "infallible," underscoring the administration's intent to turn the courtroom into a geopolitical battlefield. This "law of the wild" creates a terrifying precedent that adversaries like Russia and China are already seizing upon. If Washington can kidnap a leader it dislikes under the guise of counter-narcotics, what prevents others from using counter-terrorism to do the same to American allies?

By prioritizing a tactical win in Caracas, Washington has surrendered its moral authority to lead a rules-based community of nations.

The arrogance of this intervention is underscored by the administration's declaration that the U.S. will "run the country" until a transition occurs. This is not the language of a partner, but of a colonial administrator. While Delcy Rodriguez, previously vice president of Venezuela, has been sworn in as acting president and called for respectful relations, the White House has already threatened her with a "bigger price" than Maduro if she does not fully comply with U.S. directives. Trump has escalated further, threatening strikes not only in Venezuela but also against Colombia and Mexico, a hemispheric hard line that has already been rejected by Colombian President Gustavo Petro as "illegitimate."

By bypassing constitutional sovereignty and attempting to install a hand-picked governing team, Washington is inviting a civilizational friction that will resonate far beyond the Western Hemisphere. Already, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has expressed "grave concern," rightly identifying this as a blatant violation of international law. Meanwhile, protests in Caracas and abroad highlight the backlash against U.S. intervention, complicating Washington's claim to moral authority.

The human and geopolitical fallout of this "perp walk" diplomacy is already manifesting in real-time. Trump's dismissal of opposition figures like opposition leader Maria Corina Machado suggests that Washington isn't seeking a democratic revival, but a corporate receivership.

This is evidenced by the immediate directives for U.S. oil majors to "spend billions" to fix the infrastructure they intend to control. Such blatant resource extraction fundamentally undermines the concept of the nation-state, suggesting that a country's assets forfeit the moment its leadership falls out of favor with the North. This is not just an attack on Venezuela; it is a signal to the entire Global South that their developmental paths are only permitted as long as they do not conflict with American geoeconomic appetites.

While the administration speaks of restoring democracy, Trump's own words tell a different story. The president's candid admission that U.S. oil companies will soon run Venezuela's vast reserves – the largest in the world – reveals the operation's true motive.

This is geoeconomics by other means. The goal is twofold: first, to dismantle the oil-for-debt partnership in Latin America; and second, to reintegrate Venezuelan crude into a U.S.-controlled supply chain. This is not diplomacy; it is an eviction notice served by Delta Force.

Domestic politics are the silent architect of this crisis. With the 2026 midterm elections looming, the White House has opted for a high-stakes military distraction to unify a polarized base. Yet, this success is a self-inflicted wound. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's condemnation of the raid as an assault on the region's "zone of peace" suggests that the U.S. is not saving its neighbors, but alienating them.

As the UN Security Council convened in emergency session this Monday, the United States stood in a position of "splendid isolation," facing a world deeply fractured by this Absolute Resolve. It has shown it can deliver a forceful blow, but it has yet to prove it can foster a stable peace. In the transactional era of 2026, might may make right in the short term, but the thunder over Caracas will reverberate as a warning to every nation that in the eyes of the new hegemony, no border is sacred.

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