Venezuela and the future of Latin America

Yesterday [14 November 2025], Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called on the American people to reject Trump’s plans for war and to take a leading role in this effort. He called on them to “stop the insane hand of the one who gives the order to bomb, kill, and wage war in South America and the Caribbean; stop the war, no to war!” One day before, at a rally in defence of Venezuela’s sovereignty, the president had called on his counterpart Donald Trump not to lead the United States into an “endless war”, not to start new unjust conflicts, “no more Libya, no more Afghanistan,” alluding to the two  nations most destroyed by US imperialism in this century.
  The statements by the Chavista politician come against the backdrop that Washington is barely concealing the fact that the deployment of troops, aircraft, and warships to the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of South America, including its largest and most modern aircraft carrier, is in reality aimed at bringing about a change of government in Caracas.
  So far, the strategy of the US hawks seems to be that the mere presence of their fleets, combined with the economic blockade, the million-dollar reward for “information leading to Maduro’s arrest,” and the constant threats from the White House, will trigger a coup d’état, which is to be made possible by a split within the ranks of the Bolivarian Army. However, direct military action, as suggested by the Venezuelan president, cannot be ruled out.
  In this sense, it is alarming that high-ranking members of the US armed forces and the US government, as well as some of their former members and spokespeople for far-right organisations, are openly discussing and even calling for military intervention against Caracas. The public and blunt discussion of imperialist attacks is evidence for the damage that Trumpism has done to international law and diplomatic norms: When the leader of the world’s greatest power openly talks about imposing his whims by force, he normalises barbarism and creates a general acceptance of it, so that even the worst atrocities are no longer a surprise for anyone.
  In light of these facts, the extrajudicial executions and forced disappearances of at least 80 people carried out by Washington since early September appear to be a macabre attempt to test the international community’s ability to act in the face of massive human rights violations. These are committed in broad daylight and presented as trophies of war by Trump and several members of his cabinet. Unfortunately, the isolation of critical voices against these practices and the inaction of international organizations that would be obliged to take action on this matter have shown the tycoon that he will effectively remain unpunished for his violations.
  This is confirmed, for example, by the publication of a secret memorandum from the US Department of Justice, which shows that the Republican administration is aware of the fact that there is no legal basis for its operations against suspected drug boats. The only “justification” for this is based on Trump’s idea that his country is at war with drug traffickers and that they can be considered as enemy combatants. This is an absurd notion, because for the war to actually take place legally, it must be approved by Congress, and even in that case, international humanitarian law sets limits on what can and cannot be done in an armed conflict.
  For governments and citizens who are committed to peace and self-determination for all peoples, it is more urgent than ever to join forces in defence of Venezuela, regardless of their opinion about its president: What is at stake is not the fate of Chavism, but the threat of the return to the most brutal form of US neo colonialism in the region. •

Source: La Jornada of 15 November 2025,eEditorial; https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2025/11/15/editorial/venezuela-y-el-futuro-de-america-latina

(Translation Current Concerns)