The recent US attack on Venezuela threatens global peace by sheer violation of international norms.

Operation Absolute Resolve and the Collapse of International Norms

The relations between the US and Venezuela were intensified for months. The Trump administration repeatedly threatened the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro. It claimed that he was directly involved in smuggling narcotics in the United States, without providing any evidence. The Trump administration had also offered a reward of $50 million for information leading to the Venezuelan president’s arrest. The United States had also been targeting the Venezuelan vessels in international waters, violating international maritime law and humanitarian law, accusing them of drug trafficking. However, the Trump administration has not provided any evidence of either of these ships’ involvement in drug trafficking, raising global concerns about international rules and norms.

Oil, Power, and the Revival of American Interventionism

The United States has a reputation for intervening in various countries through covert and overt operations. In the past few decades, the United States has captured and ousted different international leaders from power, including the de facto leader of Panama, Manuel Noriega, and the former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein. However, in the previous instances, the US administration stated that its primary objective was to promote democracy in these countries. In contrast, for the very........

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