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The abduction of democratically elected Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife following the US ground attacks on Venezuelan soil is the embodiment of the current state of the US "empire" in decline, and it must be recognized as such. The past 40 years or so has seen the dominance of the neoliberal world system, a system that conceals imperialism through "free trade" and international institutions, but as Trump has progressed through his second term, he has adopted the rhetoric of the age of colonialism and flagrant imperialism. While there were still some remnants of the previous age of consent manufacturing and neoliberalism in Trump's address—notably the scapegoat of "narco-terrorists" used to justify attacks on Venezuelans and the rhetoric of democratic elections [1]—his aims were clear and unobstructed; the attack on Venezuela is a colonial venture with the aim of installing US oil companies in the country. But as with all geopolitical situations, there is no one simple explanation. While the admission that this war is about oil makes this administration out to be like a satire of exactly what opponents of US imperialism simplify our war policy to, a comedically evil scenario, this imperialist venture has much more wide-spanning goals besides just landgrabs and oil extraction.
With the rise of alternative hegemonic structures (notably BRICS+) in Latin America and the widespread rejection of imperialism by the citizens of the Global South through those new counter-hegemonic structures, a fading and struggling US empire sees a threat. There has been a rise in left-wing populism in Latin America through the the new century, known as the “pink tide,” and as it stands, a large portion of Latin America, from Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua to Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia have all elected left-wing or nominally left-wing governments and have joined organizations to further their shared interests (such as ALBA) [2]. As the United States has isolated itself from the rest of the world through the neo-mercantilism of the Trump administration while (most of) the rest of the world unites against its destructive tendencies, the ruling class in the US feels the need to “reclaim” its position as world hegemon while simultaneously putting down the potential for other forces to gain their independence. The illegal abduction of Maduro and the attacks on Venezuelan soil has the imperial interests of land and oil in mind, but most importantly serves as a warning and to strike fear into the region as Trump revives the rhetoric of the Monroe Doctrine and “America’s Backyard.” When Trump says FAFO in regards to Venezuela, it is a threat to the entire region that he will do the same if they continue to find alternatives to US hegemony.
Don’t fall for the spectacle of “narco-terrorism” and “stolen oil,” this colonial venture is an intimidation tactic by a paper tiger. Even if the US successfully colonizes Venezuela, it has effectively isolated itself, finding condemnation around the world [3]. While the War on Terror was equally as unjustified, there is no “event” that the US was able to use to justify this war to its citizens and the world. Instead, the US has been the sole aggressor in the past months towards Venezuela, attacking civilians in the ocean, hijacking tankers, and now abducting the president and invading their soil. The real question is whether the world will let it happen or stand up against imperialism. Under any circumstance, oppose US aggression and actions all around the world. Not a single time the US claimed it did something in the name of “freedom and democracy” has democracy and freedom came about. While Canada and organizations such as the Europan Union have been silent, the representatives of the global majority have spoken up and out against the US’ aggression against the sovereign nation of Venezuela. Silence is compliance in a situation like this. An empire in decline acts out and tries to find any possible way to expand its power and keep its relevance.
I want to end on a note about Maduro and the rhetoric of him being an unelected dictator as, despite there seemingly being very little care towards manufacturing consent anymore, the address was riddled with misinformation designed to make you more sympathetic to the illegal invasion and occupation that the US is currently carrying out. Firstly, the United States has never cared about dictators and human rights abuses, in fact, our best friends have historically been dictators in Latin America! In Nicaragua, Cuba, Guatemala, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and El Salvador, we have supported or directly installed dictators to further our interests in what became dubbed the “Dirty Wars” of the 20th century. It is true that Venezuela has its problems, but the claims of illegitimate elections are principally false, as independent, non-Venezuelan organizations reviewed the 2024 election as a “transparent, fair voting process with scrupulous attention to legitimacy, access to the polls, and pluralism” [4]. Another thing to keep in mind, as should be remembered for most countries that are “enemies of America” that seem to be struggling, is that Venezuela has been crushed by US sanctions since 2014—even before Trump’s presidency and campaign against the country [5]. Neoliberal policy aims to isolate nations that reject its mandate and force them into accepting “aid” and loans from the international institutions that benefit from that system. Maduro rejecting these institutions and finding alternate pathways to sovereignty is the only crime that the US cares about, and as such, we “took it in our own hands” as we did in Libya, Iraq, and Yugoslavia. The only thing that is different about Venezuela is the colonial rhetoric that Trump employs. So just as the aggression and wars on those countries who did not accept the mandate of neoliberalism was opposed by the global majority, we must do the same in support of Venezuela.
References
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOpgLIDrHq0
2. https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/latin-americas-second-pink-tide-looks-very-different-from-the-first/
3. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166698
4. https://nlginternational.org/2024/07/press-release-national-lawyers-guild-electoral-observers-praise-fairness-transparency-of-venezuelan-election-process-condemn-the-u-s-backed-oppositions-refusal-to-accept-the-outcome-of-de/
5. https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/2142/text
Comments
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MonCarnifex
This has been happening for decades now. The U.S has invaded multiple countries all over the world and the problem with the left of the U.S is that these cowards rather talk about vegan options at lunch for schools rather than actually doing something. I do not want to sound extremist, but the U.S does have a huge problem which is: Their administration is focused on making a country that is PROFITABLE but not functionable.
The U.S is just a huge corporation rather than an actual state,
fenix
adolescente gringa intentando decir que maduro fue elegido democraticamente i said oh im sure
soy de izquierda, de MUY a la izquierda, soy de un pais que fue victima de la intervencion gringa y ademas soy nieto de un hombre que fue perseguido politico aqui durante la dictadura. pero tambien tengo ojos y tengo el privilegio de poder convivir con personas venezolanas (que no son de derecha!) que vinieron a mi pais especificamente porque no podian vivir en condiciones dignas bajo el regimen de maduro.
la suposición de que cada venezolano o en su defecto latinoamericano en general que se alegra de que Maduro haya sido derrocado tiene que ser algún tipo de lamebotas de derecha de EE. UU. y Trump es una de las cosas más exasperantes que he tenido que escuchar de parte de gringos desde que sucedio esto.
bunn_1
Hello, how are you? I am going to speak to you as someone who has lived in Venezuela, since I was born there, and what I would like to say is this.
Although I agree with some of the things in your blog, such as Trump not exactly being a good person, etc., I must say that Maduro as president and his government have been corrupt, and many Venezuelans who have left the country out of necessity can tell you that.
And something for the people in the comments: you can be left-wing and be against both of them. You can also give your opinion in a polite way; it is not necessary to insult people
(๑-﹏-๑) .
Iloveyou (I'm Venezuelan too)
by DezGotty; ; Report
STIRLOS
BASED BLOG
Y is everyone here so right wing tho?
it's not being right wing literally every venezuelan knows we were under a dictatorship it has been years of suffering we don't want any american thinking they're better than us and know better
people who opposed the government of maduro were bombed or even put into one of the worst prisons ever, life a concentration camp
you couldn't protest cuz you'll end up bad, have you ever heard of neomar lander?
you can hate trump all you want, i hate him with my guts too
but the venezuelan government wasn't democratically elected. never.
maduro was put in there as chavez died and we couldn't get rid of him.
by insaneko's tomfoolery! 𝄢; ; Report
I'm not American m8
by STIRLOS; ; Report
therye all so susceptible to propaganda its crazy
by charl13; ; Report
idc if ur not american tho my point still stands + it was more like a general statement
by insaneko's tomfoolery! 𝄢; ; Report
FORMALDEHYD3_FOWL
Bait used to be believable 🚬
Veronica ☥🦇 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪
While I do agree that you made some pretty good points in this post I wont buy that last bit where you said that Venezuelas elections are fair and completely transparent
I remember the day of the elections very clearly and I remember the sorrow on everyones faces when Maduro yet again ¨won¨
the elections have been clearly rigged for years on now
Maduro was not a great president
the people of Venezuela did not want him
the propaganda might say something but reality is another thing
and I know for a fact that my family in Venezuela did not appreciate Maduro being their president
that said this doesnt mean that support the U.S. invasion
not at all
it has already been proven multiple times that it wont solve anything and it wont help the people
ive seen the effects of the U.S. imperialism myself in my own country and its maddening to no end
Princess of Light<3
A leftist idiot defending a dictator while calling Trump a dictator.
intoxicatediloveyou
Guys i get that maduro is a dictator and i definetely understand being frustrated that people dont understand that especially since they havent had to endure his presidency, but trump does not care about venezuela, he might even put in someone worse.
everyone fucking knows that the problem is this person calling maduro democratically elected
by insaneko's tomfoolery! 𝄢; ; Report
4L3xP
Look I'm not right-wing, far from it. But Maduro was NOT a good president, or a president at all. He was a imbecile dictator who took the trust of the Venezuelan people & exploited it for his benefit, locking up the opposition & condemning his citizens to poverty & social uncertainty. We should all be happy that the fucker is gone, but just because of it we should'nt be celebrating the arrival of old-fashioned American imperialism in Latin America.
I bet life for the average Venezuelan will barely improve as it is, as the country will remain what it's been for the past 50 years or more: an oil-dependent state whose entire profits are bet on a single horse, that with the US drilling away the country will not benefit them.
ant
i'd expect this kind of lefty retardation from bluesky
damn
Lol
by FORMALDEHYD3_FOWL; ; Report
Lol
by フラヴィオ; ; Report
charl13
all the libs in the comments of this blog are insane.
you are incredibly based. the venezuelan electoral system has been proven to be one of the fairest and least corrupt electoral systems on earth, and yet people ignore facts and let themselves fall victim american imperialist propaganda. even if maduro WAS a dictator, that does not give the american government to kidnap him and forcibly seize venezuelan oil and land. these people claim to oppose trump yet are eager to lick the boot (as long as they can justify it as "woke")
YES EXACTLY
by STIRLOS; ; Report
Daeniiy <3
I think this is the first time in history where America has liberated a country from a dictatorship and people are getting mad about it... This has got to be the most hypnotized post I've ever seen in my life. Just because you don't like the president doesn't mean you can ignore the fact that the citizens of Venezuela are dancing in the streets, celebrating their liberation
and even thanking him! Like seriously wake up from your hate-driven trance...
Excellent response. I agree!!!!
by Princess of Light<3; ; Report
its not liberation
theyre quite literally colonizing Venezuela
and while I agree that Maduro was an unfit president and a scum we cant forget that a foreign invasion specially one by the United States wont bring peace to any country
in the contrary the U.S. will do everything in their power to keep said country poor and under their foot
by Veronica ☥🦇 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪; ; Report
DTPecanOfficial
Trust me, I'm from the US and EVEN I'M annoyed at this. To those of yall, on behalf of the US, sorry we've got a dingus in office...
NICOGOD5911
horseshoe theory is real
Qryons
saying maduro is not a dictator is crazy, he very much is, but the US has no fucking right to just swoop in and kidnap another country’s leader and install their own, maduro was an authoritarian piece of shit, but the US is pulling N4zi germany lvls of authoritarianism and is probably gonna leave Venezuela like Iraq. this is probably gonna set a precedent to US allies that you can just swoop in and kidnap another country’s head of state without any consequences which basically gives assholes like “Israel” the go ahead to just take Lebanon or Syria or the rest of Palestine in the dead of night
Dana Scully
"the democratically elected Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro"
LMAO I'm sorry, the WHAT now? x.x
no literally
by Daeniiy <3; ; Report
Zoe
I love how virtually all venezuelans are clocking your leftist bullshit LMFAO. gtfo
Zoe
You are dumb as hell if you think Maduro is "democratically elected" LMFAO. he is a dictator. Why don't you for once listen to the people who are actually being affected by this instead of virtue signaling?
THIS. They call Trump a dictator, yet in a matter of months they went from "No kings!" to "LET THE DICTATOR GO!!" lmao
by Dana Scully; ; Report
ok, Maduro was an authoritarian pos but so is Trump, Maduro didn’t swoop on in to a country and overthrow their leaders because they have Oil, and also didn’t his own Gestapo to send any brown person they see to a Concentration Camp, out of two authoritarian wankers Maduro was honestly the lesser of two evils, now Venezuela will suffer the same fate as Iraq & Chile after US intervention
by Qryons; ; Report
The fact that you think a detention center and deportations are comparable to concentration camps is hilarious. And FYI, most of your former democrat presidents supported deporting illegals as well. Obama actually had THE highest number of deportations during his term, but we didn't see y'all squawking about that.
by Dana Scully; ; Report
sure, he’s a dictator but there’s a legal system for dealing with that. you don’t just attack another country without congress approving it. trump didn’t consult congress at all, so pretending this wasn’t an act of war is either ignorance or straight up repeating maga talking points.
i also don’t buy the idea that the u.s. is just “keeping the peace.” it’s not crazy to say this is about power and resources. the u.s. has been tightening control over venezuela’s oil for years through sanctions, seizing tankers, and pressuring its exports. venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and controlling who gets access to that oil matters geopolitically.
at the same time, the u.s. is positioning itself for a potential confrontation with iran largely tied to israel and regional dominance. if iran is taken out or heavily sanctioned, western access to iranian oil disappears, so securing alternative oil sources like venezuela becomes even more important. this isn’t about morality or peacekeeping it’s about maintaining leverage over global energy and power..
by khettarryy; ; Report
sure, he’s a dictator but there’s a legal system for dealing with that. you don’t just attack another country without congress approving it. trump didn’t consult congress at all, so pretending this wasn’t an act of war is either ignorance or straight up repeating maga talking points.
i also don’t buy the idea that the u.s. is just “keeping the peace.” it’s not crazy to say this is about power and resources. the u.s. has been tightening control over venezuela’s oil for years through sanctions, seizing tankers, and pressuring its exports. venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and controlling who gets access to that oil matters geopolitically.
at the same time, the u.s. is positioning itself for a potential confrontation with iran largely tied to israel and regional dominance. if iran is taken out or heavily sanctioned, western access to iranian oil disappears, so securing alternative oil sources like venezuela becomes even more important. this isn’t about morality or peacekeeping it’s about maintaining leverage over global energy and power..
by khettarryy; ; Report
actually maduro and his government do send venezuelans to concentration camps, have your heard of el helicoide?
by insaneko's tomfoolery! 𝄢; ; Report
Sai
these comments are making me so happy
OP has to be either mentally challenged or ragebaiting lmao
Ts gotta be engagement bait
by FORMALDEHYD3_FOWL; ; Report
Vickyyy
Cierra el hocico e investiga gafo