Relevance for UPSC: GS Paper II (International Relations), GS Paper IV (Ethics)
Source: The Hindu , Indian Express; International media reports

Context

The United States has reportedly undertaken a pre-dawn military operation to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Subsequently, Venezuela’s Supreme Court appointed the Vice-President as Acting President, intensifying an already fragile political and constitutional situation. Notably, the action occurred without explicit authorization of the United Nations Security Council, reviving global debates on sovereignty, legality, and ethical use of force.

Core Issues and Analysis

1. Sovereignty and International Law

• State sovereignty denotes a state’s exclusive authority over its internal affairs.
• Unilateral intervention weakens the rules-based international order, which relies on multilateral consent and legality under the United Nations Charter.

2. Moral Claims versus Power Politics

• The United States justified action on human rights and narcotics control grounds.
• Critics argue this reflects imperial overreach, where moral narratives legitimise coercive power, often producing instability rather than democratic outcomes.

3. Venezuela’s Institutional Fragility

• Years of economic collapse, hyperinflation, and democratic erosion (documented by International Monetary Fund and United Nations assessments) have hollowed out institutions.
• External military pressure risks civil unrest, refugee flows, and long-term instability instead of political reform.

Energy and Economic Impact: India Angle

India’s economic insulation reduces immediate risks, but volatility in oil markets and geopolitics remains a long-term concern.

India’s Diplomatic Position

India urged peaceful dialogue and expressed concern for the well-being of the Venezuelan people, reflecting:

• Strategic autonomy
• Non-intervention
• Respect for sovereignty
• Consistent support for reform of global institutions to enhance legitimacy and representativeness

Ethical and Global Implications

• Accelerates the erosion of multilateralism and normalises unilateral force.
• Creates precedents where power overrides legality, undermining global governance.
• Risks great-power rivalry spillover involving the United States, Russia, and China in Latin America.

Key Terms Explained

• Narco-terrorism: Use of drug trafficking to finance or support political violence.
• Rules-based international order: Global governance system anchored in international law and institutions.
• Strategic autonomy: Independent foreign policy decision-making.
• Regime change: External removal or replacement of a government.
• Unilateralism: Action taken without multilateral approval.

Conclusion

The Venezuela episode underscores the fragility of international norms in a power-centric world order. Although India faces minimal immediate economic impact, the developments reaffirm the importance of principled diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and ethical restraint—pillars central to India’s foreign policy outlook.

A unilateral United States action in Venezuela has revived debates on sovereignty, legality, and ethics, with limited economic impact on India but serious implications for global order.

Q. How do unilateral military interventions undermine the rules-based international order? Examine with reference to recent developments in Venezuela.