Operation Absolute Resolve: US Strikes Venezuela, Seizes President Maduro

On January 3, acting on the orders of President Donald Trump, U.S. military forces launched strikes on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The operation, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, culminated in their transfer to New York, where they are set to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.

Questions Over Legality Under International Law
Legal experts and international law scholars have warned that the U.S. military action amounts to a gross violation of international law. The invasion is seen as flouting Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits states from using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another country.
The UN Charter, signed in October 1945 after the Second World War, was designed to prevent unilateral military aggression and protect state sovereignty.

Accusations of Renewed US Imperialism
The intervention has been widely described as the latest manifestation of U.S. imperialism. Critics draw parallels with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which was justified on false premises of weapons of mass destruction and democracy promotion, but ultimately destabilised West Asia and contributed to the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS. Similar interventionist patterns were later seen in North Africa.

Strategic Motives Behind Regime Change
Analysts outline three key motives behind Washington’s push for regime change in Venezuela:

• Reasserting American primacy in the Western Hemisphere, in line with the Monroe Doctrine;
• Containing Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America;
• Securing access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

The move is also linked to the long-standing hostility of the U.S. establishment toward governments perceived as part of a socialist or left-wing project in Latin America.

US Claims of Self-Defence
The Trump administration may seek to justify the attack as an act of self-defence, alleging that Mr. Maduro headed a “narco-terrorist organisation” posing a threat to U.S. interests. While both the UN Charter and U.S. domestic law allow limited use of force in self-defence, critics argue that these provisions do not legitimise a full-scale invasion and regime change.

Beyond the Monroe Doctrine
Observers note that Trump’s action is driven by more than just the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which asserts U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. A complex mix of ideology, drug enforcement narratives, immigration concerns, strategic alliances, and geopolitical rivalry has shaped Washington’s aggressive posture toward Caracas.