The USA Has Demolished the Foundations of International Law
- ZrcaljenjeNovic
- Jan 4
- 6 min read
January 3, 2026, will be recorded in history as the day when the most important Western democracy publicly declared the end of the rules-based international order. The American military operation in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife is not just another geopolitical crisis. It is a frontal assault on the foundations of international law and the United Nations system.
The Operation That Shook the World
In the darkest hours of January 3rd, the U.S. military executed "Operation Absolute Resolve." A massive military action against a sovereign state without a UN Security Council mandate, without Congressional approval, and without any legal basis in international law.
More than 150 U.S. military aircraft took off from various locations across the Western Hemisphere and executed a coordinated action in the heart of Caracas. All branches of the armed forces participated: Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, along with intelligence agencies CIA and NSA.
The result? The capture of a democratically elected president of a sovereign state and his wife, who were then transported to the United States.
What Does the USA Say?
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump made no attempt to hide their actions behind rhetoric about democracy or human rights. On the contrary, they presented the operation as a demonstration of raw military power.
"No other country on planet Earth could execute such an operation. America can project its will anywhere and anytime."
Trump was even more direct in reviving the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine:
"Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never again be questioned. It will not happen."
This is no longer talk about a "rules-based international order." This is an open declaration of an American imperial sphere of influence.
The reasons for the operation? Hegseth listed them without reservation:
"Stopping gangs and violence in the USA. Stopping the flow of drugs. Returning the oil they stole from us."
Violations of International Law
This operation violates practically all foundations of modern international law:
UN Charter (Article 2)—Prohibition on Use of Force: Article 2(4) clearly prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
Principle of Sovereignty: Violation of the fundamental principle of equality and self-determination of peoples.
Principle of Non-Interference: Forcible regime change is the worst possible form of interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.
International Customary Practice: The capture of a foreign head of state without legal basis sets a precedent that could destabilize the entire international system.
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations: If a Chinese envoy was indeed in Caracas, the action could also violate diplomatic immunity.
China: Alone in Defending International Law
Beijing issued the strongest condemnation of the American action, characterizing it as a clear violation of international law, a violation of the UN Charter, and a violation of fundamental norms between states.
China demands the immediate release of Maduro and his return to the position of president of Venezuela.
Explosive Timing Coincidence
According to reports, a Chinese envoy was personally meeting with Maduro just hours before the American action. If true, this means that American special forces may have narrowly missed capturing a Chinese diplomat, which could have triggered a direct conflict between the superpowers.
For Beijing, this is not just about Venezuela. It's about precedent. If the USA can conduct military operations to replace governments in Latin America, what stops them from doing this anywhere else?
Economic Interests
China is the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil and has invested heavily in Venezuelan energy infrastructure. This operation directly threatens Chinese strategic interests in the region and access to energy resources.
Europe Remains Silent: The End of Western Values
What is perhaps most shameful about this moment is the complete, or merely passive, indecisive silence of Europe.
Where are the European capitals? Brussels, Berlin, Paris, and London—which until recently so loudly advocated for respect for international law, protection of human rights, multilateral diplomacy, and state sovereignty.
Now? Complete silence.
European Double Standards in All Their Nakedness
When Russia conducts military operations, Europe imposes sanctions, freezes bank accounts, excludes countries from the SWIFT system, and loudly condemns "violations of international law."
When the USA carries out a military invasion and captures a foreign president, Europe remains silent. Does not comment. Looks away.
The End of "Strategic Autonomy"
European silence proves that the "strategic autonomy" that the EU talks about does not exist. Europe cannot and does not dare to act independently from the USA, even when it comes to the most basic principles of international law.
This is not just political cowardice. This is a moral catastrophe.
How can Europe ever again criticize China, Russia, or any other country for violations of international law when it remains silent in the face of the most obvious and brutal violation of that same law?
The Hypocritical "Rules-Based Order"
The Western slogan "rules-based international order" has been exposed in all its nakedness. This "order" actually means, "Rules that we set apply to everyone else. But not to us."
When convenient, the West invokes international law. But when international law stands in the way of American or Western interests, they simply ignore it.
Precedent for the Future
For Smaller States
This operation sends a clear signal to all smaller states:
Sovereignty is an illusion if you cross a sufficiently powerful state.
International law will not protect you if your opponent has military superiority.
International institutions are powerless when it comes to powerful states.
For Latin America
The return of the Monroe Doctrine means that the USA treats all of Latin America as its "front yard," where it can operate without the constraints of international law. Every Latin American leader who does not satisfy American interests is now under the implicit threat of military intervention.
For the Global South
Countries of the Global South—Africa, Asia, and Latin America—see a clear message:
Western discourse about democracy and human rights is propaganda.
The only thing that really matters is power.
If you don't have nuclear weapons or strong allies, you are vulnerable.
The End of the Multilateral System?
This event raises a fundamental question: If the greatest Western democracy openly violates international law, what purpose do international institutions still serve?
The UN Security Council is completely powerless, as the USA has veto power and will never allow condemnation of its own actions.
The International Court of Justice has no enforcement power and cannot compel the USA to comply with judgments.
The UN General Assembly only has advisory powers and has no authority to stop the actions of superpowers.
What Remains?
If international law no longer applies to the most powerful, what remains?
The law of the strongest remains! A world remains where large states can attack small states without consequences:
Military power replaces legal argumentation
National interests are the only criterion of correctness
The ideology of "America First" replaces the multilateral order
The Paradox: China as Defender of International Law
The greatest paradox of this moment is that China—labeled by the collective West as an authoritarian state and accused of human rights violations—is defending principles that should be the foundation of "Western values," such as:
State sovereignty
Non-interference in internal affairs
Respect for international law
Multilateral diplomacy
Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed "defender of the free world," the USA, openly violates all these principles. How did we reach the point where supposedly authoritarian China defends the liberal international order while liberal democracies are dismantling it?
What Follows?
For Venezuela - An Uncertain Future
Will the USA install a puppet government?
Who will control the oil?
What will be the reaction of the Venezuelan people?
For US-China Relations
Escalation of tensions is inevitable
China will seek ways to protect its interests in Latin America
Risk of direct conflict is increasing
For European Credibility
Complete loss of moral compass
How can the EU still claim to be a "normative power" when it remains silent in the face of such obvious violations of norms?
China and Russia will showcase European hypocrisy at every opportunity, and rightly so!
For the International System
Acceleration of the transition to a multipolar world—but not based on rules, but on power
States will seek new alliances for protection against arbitrary actions by superpowers
This will be the end of illusions about universal rules!
January 3, 2026 can be marked as the date when international law died. At least in the form we have known it since the end of World War II.
The USA has shown that:
Military power supersedes legal principles
National interests (especially oil) justify invasion
"American dominance" is more important than the sovereignty of other states
Europe has shown that:
Its commitment to international law is selective and conditional
Strategic autonomy is an illusion
Western values apply only when they suit Western interests
China, despite its own supposedly authoritarian tendencies, remains alone in defending principles that should be universal. And perhaps this is the most ironic part of the whole story: International law, established by Western democracies after the horrors of World War II, is now being defended by an allegedly authoritarian state, while those same democracies are dismantling it.
"Welcome to 2026, and under President Trump, America is back."
Indeed, America is back. Back to the 19th century, when might made right. Back to the time of imperial spheres of influence. Back to a world without rules—except one: Power determines what is right.
And meanwhile, the whole world remains silent. Or worse, applauds Trump's cleverness or madness.
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