The U.S. military operation in Venezuela to forcibly remove President Nicolas Maduro from power capped a monthslong campaign of U.S. pressure. What started as a series of strikes against boats allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela into the United States eventually escalated into a full naval presence and military buildup in the region. Finally, those forces were used to strike Venezuelan air defenses, seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and bring them to the U.S., where they will be tried for their alleged role in supporting Venezuela’s drug trade.
Though militarily effective, the operation has raised a host of concerns. These include its complete disregard for international law, namely the U.N. Charter’s foundational principle of territorial integrity, and U.S. domestic law with regard to congressional oversight of the use of military force. Concerns have also been raised about the strike’s broader implications, such as whether it sets a precedent for the unilateral use of military force by other states. The strike has also emboldened President Donald Trump to threaten aggression against other nations in the region, including Cuba and Colombia, as well as the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, causing even more worry among U.S. adversaries, partners and allies alike.
The strike raises a host of other questions: What is the legal basis for the U.S. to put Maduro on trial? Why did Trump think it was necessary to remove him from power? What plan, if any, exists for “running the country”—as Trump claimed the U.S. is doing—and rebuilding its oil industry?