The U.S. military operation in Venezuela has revealed a new reality: Washington no longer feels the need to consult allies and is ready to redraw spheres of influence by force.
The operation’s significance extends far beyond Latin America. Washington signaled it is prepared to use the military directly to overthrow a foreign government and protect its own interests.
The arrest of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces is not only the end of the Venezuelan regime, but also a message to the world about how Donald Trump’s administration intends to act on the international stage — and a particular signal to Moscow and Beijing, Bild writes.
The Venezuela operation clearly showed the U.S. does not intend to scale back its global presence. On the contrary, Trump indicated he is ready to use military force whenever American interests are at stake.
Europe can either welcome such actions (as after strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities) or watch with concern and skepticism. But the key point is that Trump no longer sees a need to consult the EU before making such decisions.
In the National Security Strategy published in December, the Trump administration stated outright that the decisive voice in South America belongs to the United States. By that logic, neither Russia nor China - nor even countries in the region themselves — are the key arbiters.
Another part of the American strategy is also worrying Europe. In the same document, the U.S. says it intends to strengthen “resistance” within the European Union and influence its political landscape.
Given events in Venezuela, observers note, it would be naïve to view these formulations as empty rhetoric.
The U.S. operation was both a humiliation for Russia and a direct challenge to China. In one night, Trump achieved in Venezuela what the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has been unable to accomplish in Ukraine after more than four years of full-scale war.
It is also telling that Maduro’s arrest came just hours after his meeting with Chinese representatives - a signal Beijing is unlikely to have missed.
Expert Peter Neumann points to Washington’s rhetoric on Cuba. Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have already indicated that Cuba could be the next target of pressure. In their words, socialist Cuba has remained a “thorn in the side” of the United States for seven decades — a communist state off the coast of Florida.
