US invasion of Venezuela legitimises countries with territorial ambitions

If Maduro’s anti-US policy legitimises the American invasion of Venezuela, China can legitimately invade the US because Trump’s policy is anti-China, can’t it? Of course, China wouldn’t; it will be wiped out of the world map in the retaliatory US strikes, but then, as of now, this is a theoretical question, not a practical one.

The Venezuela Operation: Pretext vs. Reality

The US military operation in Venezuela on 3 January, which resulted in the capture and extradition of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, has been framed by President Donald Trump as a strike against “narco-terrorism” and a step towards restoring democracy, but that’s a thinly veiled grab for control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world. I wouldn’t say Trump’s brash behaviour has ended the difference between the US deep state (unelected intelligence and military apparatuses) and the front state (elected government), as multiple presidents before him, both Republican and Democrat, did it, and they cared to explain their actions only when too many other countries condemned them.

A Legacy of Covert Intervention

The Venezuela action is on the lines of historical US interventions in Latin America, such as the 1989 invasion of Panama to oust Manuel Noriega on drug charges.

US foreign policy has long blended overt and covert elements, often under the banner of democracy promotion while pursuing strategic interests like resource access or regional dominance. Trump’s approach is only less reliant on diplomatic pretence—he has openly stated the US would "run" Venezuela post-operation—but it’s not a revelation so much as a continuation of patterns seen in interventions from Iraq to Libya. The US’s elected leaders have historically directed or endorsed CIA operations, including those involving drug traffickers as assets in Central and South America during the Cold War era (for example, Contra funding scandals). The US uses “narco-terrorism” as a pretext, while the CIA has a documented history of alliances with narco elements for geopolitical leverage.

The Asymmetry of Power and International Law

Would Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela (or what's left of its government), and others jointly attack the US in retaliation? Again, they can’t. The US is too strong and they are too weak. But again, I only asked a theoretical question.

The US never cared for the international norms under the UN Charter that prohibit aggressive wars. Other countries desist only because the US is way stronger than they are—militarily and economically. But how long will this fear of a devastating retaliation last?

The Cycle of Empires: Predicting US Decline

Empires rise and fall. Greeks did. Romans did. Indians did… Even closer in history, the sun set on the British Empire with the Second World War. How long will the post-1945 phenomenon of US hegemony last? I foresee the 1789-born amalgamated nation’s decline, beginning in 2050. Maybe Trump has brought the doomsday ahead by 5 years! What if the then most powerful countries begin exacting revenge on the US?

Like the US doesn’t rely on diplomatic pressure, legal challenges at the International Court of Justice, or economic countermeasures (like OPEC oil manoeuvres) as more rational, peaceful and globally acceptable paths, once it has decided it will invade a country, those countries won’t while invading the US either.

The Monroe Doctrine and the Threat of Global Anarchy

Extending the Monroe Doctrine—which historically asserted US primacy in the Western Hemisphere—to justify this intervention invites parallels to other powers’ ambitions. China’s claims on Taiwan are rooted in its own “core interests” doctrine, viewing the island as sovereign territory, much like how the US sees Latin America as its backyard. Theoretical justifications based on “national interests” could rationalise endless conflicts: Russia could cite US/NATO expansion for invading Ukraine, or Iran could hit American assets due to sanctions. In the free-for-all world post-collapse of the United States, what stops India from reclaiming the territories that were part of the kingdom of Mauryan king Ashoka, which would be a parallel of China’s belief that its map ought to be the map of the Qing Empire, the Middle Kingdom? A recipe for anarchy!

The optics of the invasion of Venezuela weaken the US’s moral authority to condemn aggression elsewhere, which emboldens all countries with territorial ambitions.