Trump Has Bitten More Than He Can Chew

Trump and his men moved into Venezuela, and in a brazen attack defying all law in and outside the United States, kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. They were brought handcuffed to New York, even as Trump addressed a press conference justifying the action that is being condemned by world governments one after the other.

It is clear that America is struggling to save the dominance of the dollar, with Venezuela’s huge oil reserves and close relations with China being seen as a threat. As were Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, both of whom had suggested alternative currency for world trade, and specifically of oil. This is one of the main reasons why Trump has been exerting pressure on BRICS, and more so on India to pull out of the conglomerate and thereby stop or at least stall the current effort by China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa to move towards a new currency that will effectively challenge the dollar.

For Venezuela Trump pushed an argument of ‘violation’ of democracy, ‘hordes’ of migrants, and drug trade under Maduro to justify the abduction. For Iraq his predecessors had built a completely false narrative around weapons of mass destruction. For Gaddafi it was terrorism and democracy. For Iran it is nuclear weapons… and so and so forth. However, the one and only primary reason is oil and the dollar with the attacks on sovereign countries being guided by the American Deep State’s fear of losing control.

Trump announced at his press conference that Venezuela was now under American control, and the men standing behind him (Mark Rubio and Pete Hegseth) will run the country. But here is where the alternative story begins:

One, Trump and his men are not in control of Venezuela at the moment. There is an interim government that has protested against the abduction of the President. There is a small military that has warned against American action, and protested the American effort to change the regime. And there are the people who have poured out onto the streets in huge numbers to demand the return of their President, and raise a united voice against Trump and his attempt to ‘control’ Venezuela. If this action was based on the premise that the impoverished masses would jump in glee at being saved from the dictator, then it has completely failed. There is no majority support for Trump and his administration, with the Latin American spirit of independence asserting itself regardless of the support or otherwise for Maduro. So right now the men behind him do not have a clue as to how to proceed further, with Trump now talking of the possibility of another attack. Of course ‘shock and awe’ military action will pulverize any country but then the question remains whether the world will allow Trump and his men to move further on this path of destruction.

Two, there is reaction against the action from within the US itself. It is clear that to build the trajectory to the ‘regime change’ in Venezuela Trump had spent his year in office building propaganda about illegal migrants from Mexico and Venezuela and Latin American countries and justifying the deployment of ICE. A force that he had unleashed on the people, to pick up defenceless women and others from the streets, even as their little children screamed in terror. These visuals were publicised to strike fear in every Latin American migrant’s heart, but lately the public reaction against this behaviour had grown to a point where ICE personnel were chased out of districts. So the fear that Trump had hoped to generate within the communities did not work and they are joining the peoples protests all across America now. Demonstrations are being held even as one writes, condemning Trump and his administration, and demanding the release and return of Maduro.

Three, there is growing anger in Washington about the action with commentators and political leaders and others asking why the principles of the American Constitution were so flouted. And the permission of the US Congress was not taken. Some of the reactions from the US Senators (Democrats) are:

Trump’s illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution. These are the actions of a rogue state.The American people do not want another regime change war abroad- Rashida Tlaib.

“It puts Americans at risk in Venezuela and the region, and it sends a horrible and disturbing signal to other powerful leaders across the globe that targeting a head of state is an acceptable policy for the U.S. government”- Andy Kim

“The actions taken today by the Trump administration are blatantly illegal.Venezuela poses no imminent national security threat to the United States and Congress has not voted to authorize any use of force in the region.”- Betty McCollum.

“This war is illegal, it’s embarrassing that we went from world cop to world bully in less than one year. There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela,” - Reuben Gallego.

“He says we don’t have enough money for healthcare for Americans—but somehow we have unlimited funds for war??” - Jim McGovern.

And a host of others, the point being that the US Congress that is expected to meet soon will not sanction further attack. And demand, perhaps, the release of Maduro in stated respect of Venezuela’s sovereignty. Mid term elections this year might bring in a Democrats majority in the US Congress that is expected to curtail Trump’s shenanigans further. Unlike in Gaza, the response to the attack on Venezuela has been stronger and more widespread within the US Congress with Rubio’s impassioned, “we will not allow outsiders in our own Western Hemisphere” not cutting the kind of ice he had hoped for.

Three, world reaction has crossed expected boundaries. Strong condemnation was expected from China and Russia but Europe seems to have united in opposing the action. Far right leaders in Europe, seeing perhaps the beginning of their own demise, have issued statements against Trump’s attack on Venezuela. And Prime Ministers like UKs Keith Starmer who have been refusing to sharpen the attack on Israel for the genocide in Gaza, have had to come out with a stronger than expected response to the abduction of Maduro. Europe is already smarting from Trump’s authoritarianism since the tariff days and is not willing to go along with his rogue actions. And certainly his comments now about moving into Greenland will strike sufficient alarm bells to ensure further tightening of Europe’s response. He has been speaking of this for a while but to do so immediately after the action against Venezuela has not gone unnoticed by his NATO partners.

And four, the action will unite Latin America. The differences that had grown in the region over the years are already showing signs of being buried overnight, with the masses on the streets and the governments rushing to condemn Trump and his administration. This solidarity is visible after decades and will go a long way in bringing a dynamic shift in the Latin American region that has to be watched to be understood.

So despite the dramatic action, and the supposedly macho appearance, the US under Trump has not gained any points. Not even brownie points. It has drawn widespread condemnation, united peoples it did not want to unite, and written itself into nations that have used the cover of democracy for rogue authoritarianism.