Reflections on the criminal invasion of Venezuela

The United States’ illegal incursion into Venezuela, universally regarded by legal scholars as a crime under international law, is the latest and most full-throated assertion of a return to colonial logics, as the old liberal-democratic order continues its precipitous collapse.

The extra-judicial kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro is just one of many signs of this ongoing collapse. Increasing material scarcity, a renewed growth narrative and perhaps the push to keep US petrol cheap, are all driving a revived geopolitics of capture, extraction and control. This is rapidly coming to replace the so-called ‘rules-based order’ of the post Cold War period. The message from Washington is clear: the old rules no longer apply, and the new game in town is the pursuit of power by any means necessary.

This form of ‘neo’-colonialism is, of course, nothing new. It is instead a full-blooded and openly-expressed revival of the Monroe Doctrine, which advocated absolute US dominance within the Americas. Of course, Washington never stopped meddling in the affairs of other countries. But this was usually carried out under the pretence of bolstering ‘democracy’ rather than reinforcing raw US power and control in the region. While human rights groups and the UN have expressed grave concerns over the brutal, unlawful and anti-democratic activities of the Maduro government, this does not in any way justify US imperialism, aggression and a power-grab by military means, which is clearly in direct contravention of international law.

The difference in the latest evolution of the Trump administration’s foreign policy: they’ve started saying the quiet part out loud (on Monday, the State Department tweeted “This is OUR hemisphere”). The stated rationale this time, barely advanced with a straight face, centres around a policing logic – a reassertion of old-fashioned colonialism disguised as the latest front in the war on drugs.

Here in Sheffield, British-Chilean journalist and documentary filmmaker Pablo Navarrete, an expert voice on neo-colonialism within Latin America, has published the transcript of a short speech he gave on Monday at an emergency rally outside Sheffield Town Hall opposing the US’s illegal operation.

“Today in 2026 this US war on Latin America, on countries that want to free themselves from US domination has become truly sinister,” says Pablo. “I think we have to be very clear that Trump is just the most naked expression of this savage US imperialism and his brutal bombing of Caracas this past weekend and the US’ kidnapping of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores should be condemned by any decent human being.

“The UK, as is so often the case, is an accomplice to the US’ criminality. For many years now the UK government has stolen around two billion dollars worth of Venezuela gold as part of the US’ plan to strangle Venezuela’s economy and topple the government. This weekend Keir Starmer said he shed no tears for Maduro’s kidnapping. No doubt in the same way that he has shed no tears for Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the over 170,000 murdered Palestinians his government is complicit in.”

We highly recommend reading Pablo’s full speech – it only takes a few minutes.