157. TRUMPCRACY represents the new global order
Today, I wish to ask forgiveness from William J. Dean, a person I hold in high regard. He wrote a regular column in my magazine, Indian Economy & Market, from the first issue until the month he passed away.
He almost hated him, even as I admired Trump, who was running for his first term. Mr Dean called him a universal menace. We had heated discussions (our letters are included in my book Letter From New York). He was right.
After taking the oath a second time, his first speech, which mocked the Biden administration, proved that US voters had selected a reckless, undeserving, madman. At the same time, Joe Biden only smiled and let it go like a true gentleman.
The self-proclaimed global peacemaker is, in fact, a global warmaker and a dictator. He has ushered in an era of naked imperialism. First, it was his tariff drama and his attempt to grab the Nobel Peace Prize by any means. Both failed.
Now the dictator has kidnapped Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s hardline socialist president, and his wife, which has destabilised the world order. The New York Times reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in the attack.
The operation surprised the global community. Both US allies and opponents were astonished by the bold interference in another country's affairs.
Trump’s action disrupts international norms and disregards sovereign territorial rights. The coup is unlawful and destabilizing both regionally and globally.
It resembled the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Also, it echoes the 1989 US invasion of Panama, which led to the fall and arrest of Manuel Noriega.
However, Venezuela’s institutions and military seem to be functioning properly. What is evident is that the US is intent on maintaining a significant influence in Venezuela, whether through military intervention or other means.
The country’s highest court has directed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president during Maduro’s temporary absence. Rodríguez has a strong leftist background, being the daughter of a Marxist guerrilla and a French-educated technocrat.
Venezuela’s defense minister has pledged to continue the fight and has urged citizens to unite against a foreign invasion, framing resistance to the US as a battle for freedom.
Yesterday’s arrest of a sitting president followed months of an intense U.S. pressure campaign against Venezuela. Since September, the US Navy has gathered a large fleet off the Venezuelan coast, conducted airstrikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, and seized Venezuelan oil tankers. At least 110 people have died in the boat strikes, which may amount to war crimes.
Trump has openly entertained the idea of regime change in Venezuela. In late November, he issued Maduro an ultimatum to step down, offering him safe passage out of the country. Maduro rejected the offer and accused the US of trying to seize control of his country’s oil reserves.
Maduro was right because Venezuela currently has -
300 billion barrels of crude oil reserve, the largest in the world. At current prices, that’s 17.3 trillion dollars.
200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserve
4 billion tons of iron ore reserves, worth nearly $600 billion
8000+ tons of gold reserves
500+ million tons of coal reserves
2% of the world’s total renewable freshwater resources
Untapped strategic minerals, including nickel. Copper and phosphates
And Trump just said that the US NOW OWNS IT. You read it right.
Trump has stated that “We’re going to run Venezuela until we can make a safe, proper, and judicious transition. The U.S. is going to be very strongly involved in Venezuela’s oil industry after the military operation.”
The world leaders are divided in their views.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni argued the US military action in Venezuela was “legitimate” and “defensive”. At the same time, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President, and we shed no tears about the end of his regime. France said the US operation undermined international law and called for 2004 presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to lead a political transition.
Argentina’s president said, “Liberty advances! Long live Liberty!” while Ecuador’s president said the time was coming for all the ‘narco-Chávista criminals’ raising fear in others.
China and Russia said the US should immediately release Maduro and his wife and resolve the situation in Venezuela through negotiation.
Brazilian President said the US attack crossed an unacceptable line and represented a grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty, and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community. Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, and Spain said the intervention violates international law and pushes the region toward a future of uncertainty and militarism.
But a hint was given by the Trump administration a few weeks ago, when it released a new national security strategy, signaling a significant shift in foreign and defense policy. This strategy involves expanding the US military presence in South and Central America, based on the Monroe Doctrine—originally established in 1823 by President James Monroe as the "America for Americans" policy.
Trump’s coup raises serious concerns for Britain, the EU, and Western democracies. It threatens the core rules and principles of the international order they value. The US has again bypassed the UN and the usual diplomatic channels to resolve interstate disputes.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has openly expressed his desire for regime change in Havana. Trump has previously warned of military intervention over the Panama Canal. Now, Trump has threatened military strikes against Iran.
Trump’s use of violence is similar to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, as both have unlawfully attacked neighboring countries and tried to replace their leaders. Suppose Trump is right to invade the whole of Venezuela and take its resources, then Russia is not invading the territory of Ukraine.
For Xi Jinping, Trump's actions have created a precedent that he may want to follow in the future, including military intervention against Taiwan.
Among the three superpowers, China has carried out a completely non-aggressive invasion. In comparison to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US-backed regime changes in Bangladesh, the bombing in Iraq, and now in Venezuela, China has built its own country on the Spratly Islands to acquire resources in the South China Sea. They didn't kill any citizens, nor bomb any town, nor capture any elected leader.
(The Spratly Islands are a contested archipelago located in the South China Sea. It consists of islands and over 100 reefs. The archipelago is situated off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and southern Vietnam.)
The time has come to unite against the US. For Americans, my suggestion is to impeach this madman because still three years left, but that’s what you get when you choose a part-time politician.
India has one too, but here, voters are clever despite their stupidity.
I am currently waiting for TV news confirming that China has attacked and seized Taiwan, and that war has started in Iran following a US forces bombardment. And the United Nations general secretary is sobbing profusely.