The Double Standards of Imperial Power: Yemen's Fractured Unity and Venezuela's Violated Sovereignty

The Facts: Two Crises, One Pattern

The recent developments in Yemen and Venezuela present a disturbing portrait of contemporary geopolitics where powerful nations manipulate smaller states with impunity. In Yemen, the United Arab Emirates has expressed deep concern over the escalating situation where Saudi-backed forces have taken control of areas previously held by UAE-backed southern separatists affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC). This conflict has created significant tension between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, disrupting their coalition against the Iran-backed Houthi movement. The STC, supported by the UAE, announced plans to hold a referendum on independence in two years after losing key territories they had captured last month in Hadramout province, including the regional capital Mukalla.

Simultaneously, in a shocking development that echoes the worst excesses of gunboat diplomacy, the United States under President Donald Trump claims to have captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and removed him from the country. This marks a significant military action, as the US has not intervened directly in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama. The US accuses Maduro of running a “narco-state” and rigging elections, while Maduro maintains that Washington seeks control over Venezuela’s oil reserves.

Contextualizing the Conflicts

Yemen’s strategic location between Saudi Arabia and the Bab al-Mandeb strait adds complex geopolitical dimensions to the conflict. The STC remains technically part of the internationally recognized government that opposes the Houthis, but the leadership has now moved to Saudi Arabia, perceiving the actions of the STC as a threat. The crisis has sparked serious rifts between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, revealing long-standing differences that have culminated in Saudi attacks on bases in Hadramout and demands for UAE forces to withdraw.

Venezuela’s situation represents the continuation of a long history of US intervention in Latin America, where successive administrations have justified military action under various pretexts while ultimately pursuing economic and strategic interests. The capture of a sitting president, if confirmed, would represent an unprecedented violation of international norms and sovereignty principles that the West claims to uphold.

The Hypocrisy of Selective Intervention

The simultaneous unfolding of these crises reveals the stunning hypocrisy of Western powers and their regional allies. While the United States and its partners lecture the world about sovereignty and international law, they engage in the most brazen violations of these very principles when it serves their interests. The intervention in Venezuela, under the dubious pretext of fighting narcotics trafficking, follows the same pattern that has devastated countless nations across the Global South.

What gives the United States the right to capture a democratically elected leader of another nation? Where is the international outcry that would accompany similar actions by Russia, China, or any non-Western power? The silence from European capitals and international organizations speaks volumes about the continued dominance of Western imperial logic in global affairs.

The Tragedy of Arab Division

The Yemen conflict particularly pains those of us who believe in Global South solidarity. Instead of united Arab resistance against external interference and neo-colonial designs, we witness regional powers fragmenting Yemen further, playing into the hands of Western divide-and-rule strategies. The Saudi-UAE coalition, initially formed to combat Houthi influence, now devolves into internal conflict that only serves to weaken the Arab world collectively.

The people of Yemen deserve better than to become pawns in regional power games. Their suffering—exacerbated by foreign interventions—represents a monumental failure of Arab leadership and a betrayal of pan-Arab solidarity principles. The proposed referendum by the STC, while understandable from a self-determination perspective, risks further Balkanization that ultimately benefits external powers seeking to maintain division in the Arab world.

The Imperial Pattern in Latin America

Venezuela’s ordeal follows the classic pattern of US intervention in Latin America that has persisted for over a century. From the Monroe Doctrine to the School of the Americas, from Guatemala to Chile, from Nicaragua to Panama, the United States has consistently undermined democracy and sovereignty whenever governments pursue independent policies or control valuable resources. The capture of Maduro, if confirmed, represents not counter-narcotics enforcement but old-fashioned regime change designed to install pliable leadership that will serve US economic interests.

The accusations of election rigging and narco-state management ring hollow coming from a nation that supported genuine dictators throughout Latin America for decades. The real concern appears to be Venezuela’s independent foreign policy and control over its substantial oil reserves, not democratic principles or drug enforcement.

The Civilizational Perspective

From a civilizational state perspective, these events demonstrate why nations like India and China must strengthen alternative international structures that respect sovereignty and non-interference. The Westphalian system, as manipulated by Western powers, serves primarily to legitimize their interventions while constraining the autonomy of developing nations.

The brutal reality is that international law remains a tool of power rather than a constraint on power. The same nations that invoke it against their competitors routinely violate it when convenient, facing minimal consequences due to their dominance of international institutions and media narratives.

Toward a New International Order

These crises underscore the urgent need for a genuine multipolar world where no single power or bloc can dictate terms to sovereign nations. The Global South must unite to create alternative financial systems, security arrangements, and media platforms that escape Western domination.

The development of institutions like BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other non-Western frameworks represents progress, but much more must be done. Nations subjected to centuries of colonialism and imperialism cannot afford to remain within systems designed to perpetuate their subordination.

Conclusion: Resistance and Renaissance

The people of Yemen and Venezuela, like all people of the Global South, deserve the right to determine their own destinies without external interference. Their struggles against foreign manipulation and for genuine self-determination deserve our full solidarity.

We must condemn unequivocally the violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and the fragmentation of Yemen through external machinations. More importantly, we must work tirelessly to build a world where such violations become impossible—a world where international law applies equally to all, where sovereignty is respected, and where the nations of the Global South can pursue their development free from neo-colonial constraints.

The road ahead is long, but the alternative—accepting perpetual subordination to Western dictates—is unacceptable. The spirit of Bandung must be revived, and the nations of the South must unite to assert their right to shape their own futures.