U.S. Regime Change in Venezuela

➡️ U.S. POWER GRAB IN VENEZUELA - January 2026

The ongoing conflict between the USA and Venezuela escalated on January 3rd, 2026, after the U.S. military carried out 'Operation Absolute Resolve', resulting in the abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Venezuela became the target of U.S. dominance, for which they have failed to provide legal justification. The thin guise of narcoterrorism by Trump claimed that drug trafficking from the South American country has killed countless Americans. These assumptions remain unproven.

Trump declared Maduro a threat to Venezuela, the region, and to the U.S. He also claims that Venezuela has sent dangerous individuals into the U.S., that they have seized American oil infrastructure, and have acquired weapons that threaten the U.S. and its citizens.

In international law, none of these accusations constitutes an armed attack. The operation was a blatant disregard for international and U.S. law, a violation of the UN Charter, naked imperialism, and it sets a terrifying precedent for future U.S. foreign policy.

Official figures on civilian deaths have not been released, but estimates are around 80.

Respected public policy analyst Jeffrey Sachs labelled the event "a brazen attack against the international order, against the UN Charter, and against peace itself."

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Trump's explanation for the attack holds even less weight when you consider that, due to lax gun laws in the U.S., nearly 47,000 people died of gun-related injuries in 2023, the country possesses over 5,000 nuclear warheads, and its military budget for 2025 was an astounding $850 billion, more than three times that of China, the second largest.

It begs the question, who and what is the real threat to the American people?

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Revised Foreign Policy Prior to the Attack

In December 2025, the U.S. made revisions to its National Security Strategy. It refocused priorities with Trump's 'America First' stance at the forefront. With the objectives to justify U.S. intervention and impose further domination, the century-old Monroe Doctrine was given a new breath of life and retermed the 'Trump Corollary'

"Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again." - Donald Trump

The changes allow the U.S. to intervene as a regional police force, enabling it to access key areas and deny others control over strategically vital assets, aka oil. Experts consider the outdated doctrine to be in opposition to self-governance, sovereignty, the prohibition of the use of force, and the principles of non-intervention.

In pursuit of global hegemony, Trump's approach to foreign policy is to reduce global burdens (such as foreign aid and the United Nations) and advance his economic agenda in competition with the likes of China and Europe.

The January 3rd Attack & Maduro's Kidnapping – Illegal!

Many experts have spoken up about the illegality of Operation Absolute Resolve and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Below we list the various violations:

• UN Charter - Under Chapter VII, a state cannot seize or remove the leader of another state unless the United Nations Security Council authorises the use of force.

• U.S. Constitution - Trump deliberately circumvented Congress. His plan to invade Venezuela and abduct President Maduro was orchestrated months in advance.

• War Powers Resolution - Requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action. With 15,000 troops still in the area, a second invasion, again without congressional approval, is a real possibility.

• Neutrality Act - Prohibits the government from engaging in unauthorised military operations against countries that are not at war with the U.S.

• Foreign Assistance Act - Forbids the U.S. from assisting those involved in coups or military overthrows. They didn't assist; they led.

• Arms Export Control Act - U.S. weapons are forbidden from being used in unauthorised acts of aggression. Ironic given the state of affairs in Ukraine and Gaza, and now Venezuela.

Maduro Was No Saint

The Maduro regime was marked by repressive, corrupt governance, which together with massive U.S. sanctions left Venezuela in a state of financial ruin. During his leadership, over eight million Venezuelans left the country, causing great instability in neighbouring countries. Having spent much of his political career in the shadow of Hugo Chavez, upon his succession, Maduro began systematically dismantling institutions and granting himself and his military unprecedented power.

He was despised by many, and widespread public discontent and deadly protests marred his rule. Demonstrations and dissent were silenced through violence, harassment, torture, and disappearances. During one protest, he ordered the police to shoot at protesters and drive into them with armoured vehicles. He maintained his grip on power through fear and corruption. Thousands of people died in extrajudicial killings.

Maduro ran a kleptocracy which stole state resources and public funds for his own personal enrichment. Despite having the world's largest oil reserves, Venezuela's population endures hyperinflation, severe poverty, a lack of basic food supplies and medicine, malnutrition, and soaring levels of unemployment. Venezuelan currency has lost 99% of its value since 2012.

Infant mortality is 100 times worse than it was four years ago, and they have the second-worst murder rate in the world. This is social and economic collapse at its worst, and Maduro's government is wholly to blame.

Maduro has maintained his position through controversial re-elections, manipulation, dissolving the National Assembly, packing the Supreme Court with loyalists, and placing high-ranking military leaders in government positions. He maintains complete control over the entire Venezuelan government.

He is guilty of widespread human rights abuses, including the restriction of press freedom, censoring media outlets, targeting journalists, and silencing critics.

What Will Happen Next?

On January 5th, Maduro, his wife, his son, and three others appeared in court in New York for the first time. They pleaded not guilty to four federal charges, including narcoterrorism. Maduro insisted that he is a "prisoner of war". The next court appearance will be on March 17, and it could be many months before the actual trial begins.

Experts are questioning whether the legality of Maduro's seizure voids all legal proceedings. At the same time, the U.S. could rule that he is not the lawful president of Venezuela, given serious concerns about the legitimacy of his 2024 victory. Not recognising his presidency has implications for his immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of foreign states.

Trump has made various claims about gaining control of Venezuela and its oil reserves. It remains unclear if they intend to press forward with a military occupation of the country. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, the U.S. is barred from profiting from the exploitation of Venezuelan natural resources. Founded or not, Trump believes the oil is owed to the U.S.

"Trump's seizure of Venezuelan oil and displacement of Venezuelan sovereignty are acts of war" - Constitutional law expert Bruce Fein.

Delcy Rodriguez has stepped in as Venezuela's interim leader, stating that 'no foreign agent' will run Venezuela. She has offered to cooperate with Trump but very clearly stated her position - "President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war."

Trump has shown a total disregard for international law and is allowed to continue with unabated impunity. The U.S. has made minimal effort to justify its actions and instead uses power, dominance, and its own national interests to legitimise its unchecked power.

International laws have been thrown out of the window, and international reactions barely condemn it, merely offering weak statements of how we must respect the law and the Venezuelan citizens. It is unlikely that nations will unite and take a stand, especially not in the defence of a known authoritarian rights abuser.

The peace movement has been quick to respond. Prominent campaigns to oppose the intervention, the abduction, and any further escalation into war are being led by the IPB, Stop the War, Code Pink, IPPNW and World Beyond War.

The movement in Venezuela and across Latin America is also growing, and anti-Trump protests have erupted in cities across the U.S. Demonstrators are demanding ‘No Blood for Oil’ and also speaking out against the deportation of Venezuelans in the country.

Venezuela is only a victim of these attacks due to its natural resources. Very little has been mentioned of the will of the Venezuelan people or their ongoing humanitarian crisis. If Trump gains control, they are merely exchanging one tyrant for another.

Back in October 2025, Trump ran an absurd campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize. The winner was the divisive and controversial Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado. She is aligned with U.S. imperialism, advocated for tougher U.S. sanctions, and discussed possible intervention with Trump. Since the attack, Machado has spoken out in praise of the kidnapping and has offered to gift the prize to him.

It is safe to say that peace is the last thing on Trump's mind.

Completely bypassing Congressional approval, trust in the Trump administration is at an all-time low. Another consideration is the UN's limited power to hold the U.S. accountable. With the power of a veto, any action to do so by the Security Council will simply be blocked.

We cannot allow power grabs to be normalised or left unaccountable.

The precedent set by Israel's actions in Gaza is paving the way for these types of extraterritorial seizures. We cannot let these examples become justification for other nations, such as Russia and China, to carry out similar operations.

This downward spiral of international order, law, and common sense paves the way for violence, instability, confrontation, corruption, and human rights abuses.

Recommended Reading:

Comprehensive coverage on Al Jazeera Live and Al Jazeera

Excellent commentary from Jeffrey Sachs, DemocracyNow!, and CommonDreams

Author: Rachael Mellor, 07.01.25 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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