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After four months of intense pressure by way of blowing up alleged drug boats and chasing huge sanctioned tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, President Donald Trump finally had his way when elite American commandos stormed their way into the residence of President Nicolas Maduro dragging him and his wife away. And all this drama against a backdrop of bombs going off in key places at Caracas supposedly dropped by American planes.
The Department of Justice has quickly returned an indictment against President Maduro, his wife and son on various narco-terrorism charges; the key principals already on board the USS Iwo Jima enroute New York federal courthouse in handcuffs via Guantanamo to face the narco terrorism charges that includes money laundering.
The dramatic post-midnight operation against Venezuela announced by President Trump on his social media and further amplified in two media interviews might not have brought about the levels of excitement in the aftermath of the capture of Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein or in the gunning down of terrorist Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan; rather a somber assessment of what is in store for that Latin American country already reeling under years of mismanagement and corruption. Report of armed gangs roaming through the streets of Caracas and calls of the regime for support only speak of an ominous environment in an already tense setting.
In his hour-long press conference from his residence at Florida, President Trump said emphatically on more than one occasion that the United States will “run” Venezuela and that the Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already had lengthy conversation with the current Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, who has promised to go along with the plans in place.
The rationale, according to the American leader, is to make sure that Venezuela is “not in the same situation” that was seen in the “last long period of years,” the bottom line being keeping in mind the “good” of the people. That said, President Trump also ruled out a role for the top opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Corina Machado, saying “She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect,” a statement that has surprised some analysts. There are also reports of Ms. Rodriguez having fled to Russia, a close ally of Caracas; and Nobel winner Machado demanding that power be transferred to the Opposition.
Beyond the chase of narco boats and tankers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, the intention of Washington from the very beginning was clear: regime change. But what is being asked is if the Trump administration had prepared for the “Day After” or if steps to normality would have to be planned from now on or if the country would have to be in a “name change” mode for an indefinite time in the future. In fact, there are serious questions as to who was in charge in Caracas. At the press conference where President was pressed on the issue there was a consensus of no clarity on the subject other than references to the Secretaries of State and Defense running the show.
Sitting on some 20 percent of the world’s oil reserves, the issue of Venezuelan oil has been a point of contention and discussion, some maintaining that Washington’s game plan was not actually narcotics or drug cartels but oil; and in the last several weeks President Trump has been aggressively making the point of the United States being robbed of oil and land in the name of national sovereignty and nationalization, a subject that the President again addressed at the presser.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies… go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” he said. Asked how controlling energy supplies of Venezuela could impact relations with China (which is the largest importer), Russia and Iran, the President maintained, “We’re in the oil business. We’re going to sell it to them” and others as well. Currently only Chevron operates in Venezuela.
The Trump administration will have a long set of questions from Congress starting next week on how it is that the United States put boots on the ground in Venezuela without getting proper authorizations under the War Powers Act or notifying key Committees in the House of Representatives and Senate.
The argument that the entire operation was “law enforcement” in nature and that the Maduros had a standing indictment dating back to 2020 or that somehow information was withheld because of the apprehension of “leaks” and “leakers” is not going well with law makers, especially of the Democrats.
On the one hand there is a temptation to buy the line that what happened to Venezuela must come as big relief to a country that has been tormented for years; the Maduro era especially known for gross violations of political and human rights resulting in the flight of an estimated seven million people. On the other, there are those concerned about sending the wrong messages on international law and acceptable norms of state behavior.
If Washington can go about on its own flexing muscles in its self-carved spheres of influence citing the Monroe or the Donroe Doctrines, what would be the basis of lecturing Russia over Ukraine or China on Taiwan?
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.
