Oiled-up “saviour”

Not instigating any conflict with other countries doesn’t seem to be in the United States’ New Year’s resolution this 2026. With the year barely started, the US launched a military operation codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, bombing infrastructures in Venezuela and capturing its president, Nicolas Maduro, and first lady Cilia Flores.

US President Donald Trump justified the operation as necessary to dismantle what he said was a “narcoterrorist regime,” and politically transform Venezuela into an oil-rich nation. At first, the US’s intentions might seem heroic, considering how Venezuela has been in a disastrous economic downhill under Maduro’s term. However, when the means involve an utter disregard for international law in order to materialize an imperialistic agenda, the motive must be questioned.

While Maduro has been indicted by a Manhattan court for drugs and weapons charges, that alone cannot be a legal basis for the US to arrest Maduro. A concept of international law called Immunity ratione personae, or personal immunity, grants certain high-ranking officials, such as a head of state, immunity from foreign criminal jurisdiction. The exemption lies in international tribunals, such as the International Criminal Court, which are guided by international laws and treaties. In contrast, countries often act on their will to push their own agenda, and the US is a great example.

Furthermore, the United Nations Charter prohibits members from threatening or using force against other states, unless it is necessary for self-defence. Drug trafficking, which Trump accuses Maduro of being involved in, is a criminal activity and does not constitute an “armed attack,” thus it cannot justify the use of force by the US. Despite this, the UN Security Council—of which the US is a permanent member and holds veto power—has yet to release a resolution.

Simply put, they cannot oust a sitting president just because they have the capacity to do so when they are not even at war. It sets a dangerous precedent that may influence other global superpowers, including China and Russia, which also have their own conflicts and tensions with neighboring countries. Such actions also undermine the effectiveness of international law on which the Philippines heavily relies, particularly in relation to the West Philippine Sea dispute.

These disregards, along with Trump’s several baseless accusations against Venezuela, only highlight the ulterior motive the US carries—to exploit its oil resources. With around 300 billion barrels of oil, Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. In fact, the US was once the primary buyer of Venezuelan oil until the US imposed sanctions on Venezuela a decade ago.

It is no wonder that oil has been a powerful driving force for the US, especially since sudden changes in global oil prices can drastically affect its economy. Several US policies toward the Middle East have been implemented to ensure the stability of the oil industry, especially in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq. This is why the US always voices its stance whenever a conflict arises in the region.

Nonetheless, the US has no business using Venezuela’s oil and selling it to other countries. International law prohibits it as sovereign states have permanent sovereignty over their natural resources. Furthermore, Venezuela has been selling more than half of its oil to China after the US imposed sanctions. Thus, a US takeover of Venezuela’s oil resources would raise a major question mark over the US’s already complex and tense relationship with China.

Indeed, Maduro should be held accountable for poor economic policies, including printing money, which pushed Venezuela into a severe hyperinflation spiral in 2017. It is ironic that with the large amount of oil reserves, Venezuela had its oil industry collapse. With its economy devastated, extreme poverty became more prevalent, and the crime rate increased exponentially.  The government under Maduro has committed several extrajudicial killings not only to combat crime, but also to silence the opposition. With basic social services going on a downward spiral, 7.9 million Venezuelans are forced to emigrate, some of whom have become illegal immigrants in the US. 

However, the US’s vision to realign Venezuela only did more harm than good. Aside from plans to take over the oil industry, the US’s intentions toward Venezuela are not only vague but also contradictory. While Trump said that they would be running Venezuela until it could stand on its own feet again, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said the country would have no direct control over Venezuela. 

Unfortunately, these two contradictory plans have left several of Maduro’s allies still in power. With Trump dismissing Venezuela’s democratic leader of the opposition, María Corina Machado, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez serves as the acting president of the country. This development is disappointing for Venezuelans who have long aspired for changes in the country. However, this should also serve as a stark reminder that, from the very beginning, democracy was never a consideration for the United States in its effort to oust Maduro. Venezuela should not rely on foreign powers to fix its crumpled system.

Even if the US is trying to play a long-term game, it only shows how the US should not be viewed as a savior of other nations. Rather, as has often been the case, it acts based on its own self-interest in maintaining its status as a global superpower. No wonder the ease with which the US captured Maduro is a testament to its power. The real test, however, lies in how the US is going to handle Venezuela after Maduro’s arrest, given its long-term plans—beyond involvement in the country’s oil industry—remain unclear and legally questionable.

Driven by self-interest, the US undermined the authority of international law simply to justify a military intervention that had no clear or viable path toward political success. There are still many questions that are far too early to answer—such as how much policy changes in immigration, narcotics, and oil may result from Maduro’s arrest, or how the United States would respond should a civil war or internal resistance emerge in Venezuela. With Maduro pleading not guilty, several uncertainties still remain. One thing, however, is clear: the US is doing little to defeat allegations of imperialism.