Trump’s Attack in Venezuela Is Unlawful – and Latin America Will Fight Back

Trump seems to subscribe to the view that might makes right, that the US is now unstoppable. But it is difficult to see the region going back willingly to “backyard” status without a fight.

Jan 03, 2026

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Donald Trump, alongside John Ratcliffe, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and General Dan Caine, speaks to the press following the US military attack in Venezuela on Jan. 3, 2026. Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The United States has carried out a large-scale military attack against Venezuela and abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to face trial in the US. This is not just an unlawful act under international law; it is further proof that the so-called rules-based order does not exist.

International law recognizes only three situations when cross-border use of force is legal:

Trump’s Attack in Venezuela Is Unlawful – and Latin America Will Fight Back

Trump seems to subscribe to the view that might makes right, that the US is now unstoppable. But it is difficult to see the region going back willingly to “backyard” status without a fight.

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