Trump’s Maduro move: A dangerous precedent for China and Russia?

WISE NEWS PRESS / WASHINGTON, USA

By using military force to bring Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to justice, Donald Trump has signaled a new era of American dominance in the Western Hemisphere, a move critics warn could provide a "legal blueprint" for rivals like China and Russia.

During a victory-lap press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump declared that the U.S. would govern Venezuela until a "secure, proper, and sensible transition" is achieved. Testing a new label for his foreign policy—the "Donroe Doctrine"—Trump stated that U.S. hegemony in the West would never again be questioned. However, this unilateral action is being viewed as a significant blow to the rules-based international order, potentially inviting global chaos.

Opening a "Pandora’s Box" for authoritarian regimes

Analysts fear that Trump’s "I make the rules" approach could be weaponized by other global powers to justify their own territorial or political ambitions. Senator Mark Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned that if the U.S. asserts the right to kidnap foreign leaders over alleged crimes, there is little to stop China from claiming similar authority over the leadership in Taiwan, or Vladimir Putin from targeting the President of Ukraine. "Once that line is crossed, the rules that restrain global chaos begin to crumble," Warner cautioned.

Resource-driven foreign policy and "Donroe Doctrine"

Trump has made no secret of his desire to control Venezuela’s vast mineral and oil reserves. During his remarks, he emphasized retrieving "stolen wealth" for U.S. oil companies that were ousted when the industry was nationalized. This focus on material gain in exchange for military intervention has deepened anxieties in regions like Greenland and Denmark, where fears of U.S. territorial interests in the Arctic’s melting resources have persisted since Trump’s first term.

The ghost of failed regime changes

History suggests that U.S.-led regime changes often result in prolonged instability. From Iraq in 2003 to the collapse of Afghanistan in 2021 and the ongoing misery in Haiti, the track record of forced transitions is fraught with disaster. In Venezuela, Trump has notably snubbed opposition figures Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo González, opting instead to communicate with Maduro’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez. This strategy suggests that while Maduro is gone, the underlying structures of his regime may remain intact, potentially leading to a violent power struggle among armed groups.

A blow to international law

The raid on Caracas took place just hours after Maduro met with Chinese diplomats. Beijing has since condemned the action as a "hegemonic act" that violates international law and threatens regional peace. As European allies struggle to support the idea of international law without condemning the U.S. for a blatant breach of the UN Charter, the world enters 2026 with a stark reality: the era of agreed-upon global rules may be coming to a violent end.

Trump believes that the U.S. alone holds the privilege to ignore international laws when they do not suit national interests. 

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