What message did U.S. imperialism give to whom with its banditry in Venezuela?

The world continues to talk about the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the barbarity, banditry, brigandage, bullying, and piracy it committed against the country’s leader Maduro. With what he did to Maduro and his wife, Trump; U.S. imperialism, which is banditry organized in the form of a state; once again showed that through attacks and occupations it disregards international law, the fundamental principles, values, and concepts of international relations, international organizations, and the independence, integrity, and sovereign equality of states. Let us list in bullet points what else it showed.

First, U.S. imperialism cannot exist without war. It is dependent on war. It is obliged to fight. This obligation is not only in terms of the military-industrial structure, which is one of the dominant sectors of the U.S. economy, but is also a necessity in terms of U.S. political culture, military organization, foreign policy, and public finance.

Second, in the security strategy document announced in the last months of 2025 and also referred to by the name of U.S. President Trump (this is a tradition in the U.S.; the national security strategy document is named after the president of that period), the U.S., by making reference to the Monroe Doctrine, once again emphasized that America belongs to Americans. This means that the U.S. wants full and absolute influence in Central and South America, which it has long seen as its backyard, and with the Trump administration also in Canada to the north. Known to be disturbed by China’s increasing weight in recent years in several countries in Latin America, including Venezuela, and wanting to seize the Panama Canal as well, again because of fear of China, in the fashionable expression of recent years, Trump defines this doctrine, by making reference to himself, as the Donroe Doctrine.

Third, while Trump says that they will govern Venezuela, U.S. oil companies have started rubbing their hands. The country, which has the world’s richest oil reserves and is known for its wealth in natural gas resources, is also rich in precious metals, rare elements, and valuable minerals. The U.S. is seizing these.

Fourth, U.S. imperialism claims that Maduro runs a large drug network, is arming himself, and supports terrorist organizations in order to ground and justify its aggression and barbarity. No one with reason, logic, common sense, conscience, and a little knowledge of history believes these.

Fifth, Western countries skilled in money laundering such as the U.K. and Switzerland, besides the U.S., have seized Venezuela’s assets abroad and the money in its banks, even though there is no court ruling. This situation shows that even the leading countries of capitalism do not comply with the most basic rules of capitalism and liberalism, with property rights and their guarantees.

Sixth, the U.S., with its banditry, is intimidating the world and brandishing a stick. It shows that it will not comply with the order whose rules it itself set and whose institutions it established. Trump is hurling threats at Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Iran, and Panama. He wants to seize Greenland, which is the territory of Denmark, a NATO and EU member, and to make Canada a U.S. state.

Seventh, the violent demonstrations in Iran, which go far beyond the peaceful protests of a people with justified and legitimate demands, should be considered together with the U.S.–Israel duo’s efforts to change the regime in Tehran. But they cannot do in Iran what they did to Maduro.

Eighth, there are midterm elections in the U.S. this year. Trump needs a foreign policy success. He will use his seizure of Venezuela in domestic politics. His criticizing, even humiliating, previous U.S. presidents in front of the cameras shows this.

Ninth, the silence of countries, except for a few, is proof of how much they fear the U.S. The UN is already nowhere to be seen.

Tenth, in the West, in the Christian world, Venezuela and Maduro are a country and a leader who speak out loudly against Israel’s Zionist policies and its genocide in Gaza. That there has been no serious reaction from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation or the 22-member Arab League to the abduction of Maduro, who declared the Israeli ambassador persona non grata, shows the state of the Islamic world and the Arab world.

Eleventh, that Maduro was found and abducted so easily and in such a short time by U.S. soldiers, that there was no effective resistance, that not a single U.S. aircraft was shot down, and that the U.S. suffered no military losses shows that there is a major intelligence, security, and protection weakness in Venezuela. It increases the suspicions that Maduro was betrayed by his close circle and by the civilian–military security bureaucracy.

Twelfth, Venezuela is one of China’s most important oil suppliers. The U.S., with its banditry, is also sending a message to China. It is known that the U.S. is disturbed by China’s increasing investments, the loans it provides, and the developing relations in Latin America.

Thirteenth, the U.S., in addition to being an important oil producer and exporter, has in recent years also become prominent in LNG and shale gas sales. By seizing Venezuelan oil, it wants to exert pressure on energy resources outside its country, on energy routes, and on the energy suppliers of its rivals (especially China).

Fourteenth, U.S. imperialism has a very dirty and bloody past regarding coups and coup attempts in Latin America. There is even a school in the U.S. to train coup plotters in Latin America: The School of the Americas.

Fifteenth, the Venezuelan people, including opponents of Maduro, must struggle together to get rid of this situation. What will save an organized people is, first and foremost, only and solely itself. This French proverb is instructive: For a nation, the most humiliating and dishonorable situation is to be occupied by the army of another country. More humiliating and dishonorable than this is to be saved by the army of another country.

Sixteenth, the situation of the opposition figures inside and outside Venezuela who rejoice at the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the abduction of Maduro, especially that of the opposition leader who won the Nobel Prize, dedicated the prize to Trump, and is an admirer of the U.S. and Israel, reminds us of this saying: If he sees an occupying Greek soldier in Anatolia, he embraces him around the neck calling him brother-in-law.

Prof. Dr. Barış Doster, Turkish political scientist and academician