Hüsamettin İnaç: Venezuela is a warning for global chaos ahead - INTERVIEW
The world is entering a phase in which sovereignty is no longer measured solely by flags and armies. A country’s vulnerability is increasingly defined by its position within the global financial architecture. Venezuela has emerged as a stark warning: the violent “extraction” of a sovereign nation’s leader under the pretext of combating crime has shattered lingering assumptions about the reliability of international law and the established rules of the game.
Where is the new red line? Has financial sovereignty become more vulnerable than military sovereignty? And does this signal a shift toward a new era of open neocolonialism, in which decisions are made without regard for institutions or norms?
To examine these questions, News.Az spoke with Hüsamettin İnaç, a Turkish political scientist and professor at Dumlupınar University. The discussion focuses on Venezuela as a potential precedent, the silence of global powers, and the risks of a world in which force increasingly replaces law.
- Can the U.S. operation in Venezuela be considered a precedent for a new era? Does this suggest that financial sovereignty has become more dangerous than military sovereignty today?
- Recently, one of the key events dominating the global agenda was the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, a clear intervention during which President Nicolás Maduro was captured and removed from power. This was framed rhetorically as a fight against drug cartels, portraying Maduro as if he were a criminal mastermind rather than the head of a sovereign state.
However, the deeper reasons are far more strategic. Central to this is Venezuela’s cooperation with China, particularly in joint oil projects. Implementing these agreements could have reduced global reliance on the dollar by nearly 20 percent, representing a serious threat to U.S. financial hegemony. In fact, this strategic factor appears to have been the true trigger for the current crisis.
Photo: Reuters
- Does the Maduro case indicate a shift in U.S. strategy — from exerting pressure to physically “extracting” foreign leaders? Who might be next?
- The U.S. operated under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking, but preparations had been underway for months. Reports suggest the CIA was involved approximately three months before the operation, recruiting agents and analyzing Venezuela’s political landscape. The U.S. concluded that a significant portion of Venezuelan society was not actively supporting Maduro.
Meanwhile, an overwhelming military presence was amassed, including massive aircraft carrier strike groups capable of annihilating the country multiple times over. Venezuela, in essence, faced a complete naval and military blockade.
Donald Trump described Maduro’s removal as being “extracted like a hair from butter.” This episode starkly demonstrates the extent of American aggression and neocolonial reach, particularly as the U.S. approaches a national debt of $40 trillion.
- If Venezuela was merely a pretext, which countries in the region might be next on the list of “strategic risks”?
- Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves. While Saudi Arabia has approximately 300 billion barrels, Venezuela’s reserves are comparable, or even larger, according to some estimates. Full U.S. control over these resources would not only make it the world’s dominant oil player but also grant access to an economic asset worth roughly $18 trillion.
It is clear that such a large-scale military buildup cannot be directed solely at one country. Other states in the region — Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, and Cuba — are also vulnerable. Their limited defense capabilities make them potential targets for similar interventions.
Photo: Global Times
- Has Venezuela effectively become a “testing ground” for a new global deal among major powers, where China’s silence signals consent, and future moves could occur at the very center of global security?
- Perhaps the most alarming suggestion is the existence of a tacit understanding among the U.S., Russia, and China. Just nine hours before Maduro’s arrest, he met with a high-ranking Chinese official, suggesting that Beijing may have indicated it would not intervene militarily if the US applied force.
This precedent is dangerous. Actions by the U.S. now implicitly legitimize possible Russian moves in Eastern Europe, including the Baltics, Romania, and Moldova, as well as potential Chinese operations against Taiwan.
In effect, international law as it existed has ceased to function. The post-World War II system, built on norms, institutions, and values, has collapsed. In its place, a new, rigid order is emerging: a world without rules, governed by the logic of force, where might dictates right.
This marks a shift toward global anarchy and widespread chaos, with consequences that will affect not just individual regions, but the entire international system.
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