I don't really know what to say at this point.
As far as the legality of what we did, I don't see a problem with it (at least I don't think so). The United States should be able to steamroll some random guy in Grenada or Venezuela if we feel like he's a bad actor. International law and the ICC is a bad joke and shouldn't constrain our behavior. Domestically, the War Powers resolution should allow the executive to do something like this.
The problem is, why are we doing this? And who is "we"? I have never seen convincing evidence that removing Maduro will reduce the flow of drugs into the US, or that it will remove communism from the country. As far as the oil, if Exxon Mobil or whoever is able to drill in Venezuelan oilfields now, that's great for them, but how does it benefit the rest of us? For some reason, I don't think Americans will get anything out of this.
The drug angle is especially stupid because Trump just pardoned another South American head of state (Juan Hernandez) who is on tape wanting to "shove cocaine up the noses of gringos."
The only country that tangibly benefits, at this point, is Israel, given that Venezuela has been a known and acknowledged thorn in their side for years. It's no surprise that the next presidential hopeful Maria Machado will not shut up about how many things she's ready to do for them.
Some people are alleging that China and Russia were establishing a foothold in our backyard with Venezuela. They do indeed supply some oil to China (2-5% of China's supply) but I haven't heard of any other involvement, certainly nothing substantial enough to warrant regime change.
I also have a problem with the example this is setting globally. We are going to charge a foreign head of state with possession of machine guns? So when Germany brings an American citizen up on charges for violating their hate speech laws are we going to pretend we're better than that? Are we still going to pretend that Russia invading Ukraine was unjustified?
If Maduro was repeatedly aggressing on the US and uniting himself with China/Russia, I don't think I have a problem with this. But I just don't see it.
Where can you read about this?
Why are we just hearing this now? The three explanations offered were 1) drugs, 2) oil, 3) communism.
Chinese and Xi specifically "invested" in Venezuela
China "investing" in Venezuelan infrastructure---that is, buying government officials---in exchange for oil
80% of Venezuela's oil exports were going to China
Couple that with the Chinese government and all of their mouthpieces whining about Maduro's capture. Venezuela was the biggest recipient of belt-and-road initiative funding in Latin America: that program has always been about Chinese influence peddling in the second and third world.
Yes, Maduro was also a major narcotrafficker, and a Communist who impoverished a country that should be one of the richest in the world, but all three of these things are of secondary importance to the message this sends to the leader of every country in the US's backyard: I can yank out out of your bed in the middle of the night and there is nothing you can do about it.
This is embarrassing. That baboon literally just pardoned an actual narcotrafficker.
Have some dignity.
If you mean the former president of Honduras, who cooperated with cartels to move drugs through his territory, that guy was a facilitator, not a major player, and it's pretty fucking obvious to anyone who isn't suffering from terminal TDS that that pardon was in return for information that could lead to the arrest of much more important cartel leaders.
Imagine believing that Maduro is a major player and that guy is merely a facilitator.
Ah, totally forgot that this is 913-dimensional chess. Trust the plan, guys, and you have TDS if you question it.
Come on lol, that's laughable. The only thing that's happened with the Honduran cartel since then is one of the case's major witnesses getting executed in prison with like 100 gunshots.
Where did the Trump admin say that?
Ah yes the JIDF poster lists Reuters as a source.
I'm glad you could climb off your handler's cock long enough to join us in this thread.
All of your links are dead for me.
Not necessarily disagreeing with you re: Venezuela & China re: oil.
But I've seen it suggested that while 80% of Venezuela's oil was being exported to China, this only represented 4% of China's oil imports.
With other's suggesting that Maduro's Venezuela needed Chinese buyers more than China needed access to Venezuelan reserves.
4% of China's imports according to China's official figures, which are always bullshit.
I don't know if regime change was the best way to solve that problem or if it will even solve the problem. Interesting, though.
I think the message this sends is Trump's way of forcing the problem to solve itself, and not just in Venezuela.
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/brics-on-the-brink-trumps-venezuela/