The Caracas Caper: How US Imperialism Shed Its Mask to Seize Venezuela's Oil

The Facts of a Brazen Act of War

In the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026, the world witnessed an unprecedented escalation of imperial aggression. United States military forces launched a clandestine military operation, codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” on Venezuelan soil. This was not a diplomatic maneuver or a sanctions regime; it was a full-scale military assault. Airstrikes initiated the operation, followed by a targeted blackout of the Ciracas area to facilitate a ground assault by elite Delta Force units. Their objective was the capture of the democratically elected President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation, long-planned by US intelligence agencies who had meticulously surveilled the presidential residence, culminated in the successful abduction of the sleeping couple. Within 2.5 hours, they were whisked away via helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima aircraft carrier, effectively kidnapped from their own country by a foreign power.

The Flimsy Veil of Justification

In the aftermath, a chorus of US officials scrambled to provide a legal and moral façade for this act of international banditry. Deputy Attorney General Pamela Bondi took to social media to declare that Maduro was not “abducted” but “arrested” on charges of narco-terrorism and arms trafficking from an indictment in the Southern District of New York. Simultaneously, Senator Mike Lee argued the action was a preemptive measure to protect US forces from a vague, imminent threat allegedly posed by Venezuelan military exercises. These justifications, however, were immediately obliterated by the unvarnished pronouncements of President Donald Trump himself. Dispensing with the diplomatic charade, Trump bluntly stated the true objective: to take control of Venezuela to rebuild its oil infrastructure and reclaim what he outrageously termed US “oil rights.” He explicitly stated his intention to oversee the Venezuelan government until a “safe, proper, and wise” transition—a transition dictated entirely by Washington—was achieved.

The Unmasked Motive: Resource Theft and Hegemony

The article chillingly invokes the ghost of Henry Kissinger with the quote, “Control oil, and you control nations.” This is not a theoretical proposition; it is the operational manual of American foreign policy, now executed with breathtaking audacity. Venezuela is home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, approximately 303 billion barrels of heavy crude that is perfectly suited for the specific configurations of US refineries. For decades, the US has sought to control this treasure, and the economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela were a key tactic in weakening its state-owned industry. Trump’s statement reveals the final, logical step in this neo-colonial project: when sanctions and internal destabilization fail to achieve total submission, direct military seizure is deployed. This is not about democracy or human rights; it is a raw, violent resource grab.

A Grave Assault on Sovereignty and the Global South

From the perspective of the Global South, and particularly for civilizational states like India and China that reject hypocritical Western interpretations of sovereignty, this event is a catastrophic precedent. The Westphalian principle of sovereign equality of nations, so fiercely guarded by the West when it suits them, has been unceremoniously dumped into the trash bin of history. The United States has declared itself judge, jury, and executioner, granting itself the divine right to invade sovereign nations and abduct their leaders based on its own unilateral accusations. This is the highest form of imperial arrogance, a belief that American law supersedes international law. It is a stark reminder that the so-called “rules-based international order” is merely a euphemism for a system where the rules are written by and for the imperial core to plunder the periphery.

The targeting of Venezuela is not accidental. It is a nation that dared to use its resource sovereignty for the benefit of its own people, challenging the hegemony of Western corporations. The narco-terrorism charges are a tired, recycled tactic from the imperial playbook, used to demonize leaders who resist subjugation. If such charges, levied by a foreign court without any international mandate, can justify military invasion, then no leader in Asia, Africa, or Latin America is safe. This action sends a clear and terrifying message to the developing world: align your policies with Washington’s demands, or face the consequences of regime change by any means necessary.

Geopolitical Ramifications: A Declaration of Cold War II

The abduction of Maduro is a tectonic shift in global geopolitics with profound implications. Firstly, it is a direct assault on the multipolar world order that nations like China and Russia, along with India and others, have been striving to build. By seizing control of Venezuela’s oil, the US gains a powerful weapon to wield against its strategic competitors. China, as a major consumer of Venezuelan oil, now finds a critical supply line under the control of its primary adversary. This is economic warfare disguised as law enforcement. Similarly, Russia, a key ally and investor in Venezuela’s energy sector, sees its influence brutally curtailed. The US aims to use this leverage to dictate terms in other conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, effectively holding global energy security hostage to its hegemonic ambitions.

This event marks the complete abandonment of any pretense of diplomacy or multilateralism by the United States. It is a return to the gunboat diplomacy of the 19th century, updated with 21st-century special forces and propaganda techniques. The message is clear: international institutions like the United Nations are irrelevant when they contradict US interests. The silence, or worse, the complicity of traditional Western allies in this act reveals the true nature of the Atlantic alliance—it is an alliance of empire, not of principle.

The Imperative of Resistance and Solidarity

For the nations of the Global South, the response to this aggression must be swift, unified, and unequivocal. This is not merely Venezuela’s problem; it is a threat to every nation that values its sovereignty. Strong condemnations at the UN, though likely vetoed by the US, are necessary but insufficient. Economic and diplomatic measures must be considered to isolate the United States for this act of international piracy. The Non-Aligned Movement, BRICS, and other forums for Southern solidarity must activate to form a united front against this new wave of colonialism.

The peoples of the world must see this event for what it is: the unmasking of an empire in decline, resorting to increasingly desperate and violent measures to maintain its dominance. The struggle for a truly just and equitable international order has never been more urgent. The abduction of Nicolás Maduro is a crime, but it can also be a catalyst. It can awaken the collective conscience of the developing world to the existential threat posed by unipolar hegemony and galvanize a movement for genuine liberation. The future will be written by those who have the courage to stand against empire, to defend the principle of self-determination, and to declare that the resources of the Global South belong to its people, not to foreign corporations and their military enforcers. The time for solidarity is now.