Out of the Breakdown of International Law Arises the Opportunity to Build a New Security & Development Architecture
Following the Donald Trump Administration’s military operation to abduct and arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, the breakdown of international law has entered into a new and dangerous phase. Whatever one may think of the legitimacy and policies of the Maduro Presidency, such an action is in clear violation of the principle of national sovereignty, as well as the UN Charter.

After the night-time raid, President Trump brazenly stated that “we will be running the country” and has so far proceeded to do so. While the argument of narco-traffic and terrorism was used to justify the Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela and to arraign President Maduro (and his wife) in a New York City court, this was just a pretext. The US President also declared in his press conference that Venezuela’s oil industry would be seized, and its resources exploited by US companies. The President and other officials of his administration have overtly threatened similar operations against Colombia, Cuba and even Mexico. They further warned that “foreign adversaries” (read China and Russia) would be excluded from the region, which is in keeping with the Trump Administration’s new National Security Strategy that claims that the Western Hemisphere is the exclusive zone of influence of the US.

Strong condemnations of the kidnapping of a Head of State came from other political leaders in Latin America, including the Presidents of Mexico and Brazil, as well as from many in the Global South, who fear it has set an ominous precedent for future illegal interventions.

Amidst this turmoil, one must not lose sight of the bigger strategic picture. While headway was being made in talks on ending the conflict in Ukraine, a massive drone attack was launched on December 29, 2025 on the official residence of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin in Novgorod, the Kremlin claimed that the attack could only have been carried out by or with the help of Western/NATO agencies. Although the Ukrainians denied their involvement, the CIA later claimed that the drones targeted a military installation near the Presidential residence, prompting the Russians to transmit the flight data to Washington DC as proof.

This particular incident, which could have triggered a significant escalation, was then overshadowed by the military caper in Venezuela. However, the state of alert remains. Meanwhile, Europe’s Coalition of the Willing continues to demand conditions that are unacceptable for Russia.

China has kept its traditional reserve in responding to the National Security Strategy, but made clear that it would not accept any interference in Taiwan. The Anglo-American neocons, however, are recklessly attempting to build an aggressive anti-China alliance in the Pacific.

As for South-West Asia, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu was meeting with President Trump in December 2025 to try and convince the latter to attack Iran, or at least authorise Israel to do so. It may be noted that in their exhilaration over the success in Caracas, members of the Trump Administration warned that Iran, and possibly Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas Movement, could be next. Netanyahu also sought further support for the death and destruction that continue in Gaza and the West Bank, where aid deliveries are still being sabotaged and recognition of UN agencies is denied. The genocide in Gaza, broadcast live to the entire world, was the ultimate proof that the post-Second World War order of international law had been smashed.

Recent events clearly point to the need for a new international security and development architecture, as proposed by the Schiller Institute, which takes into account the interests of every nation, starting from the higher standpoint of the One Humanity to which all nations belong. One major contribution to promoting this vision will be the Presidential Campaign launched by independent candidate Diane Sare in the US.

This article was first published in Executive Intelligence Review (EIR) Strategic Alert weekly newsletter (Volume 40, No. 2) on January 8, 2026.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das