International relations analyst and lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr. Ishmael Hlovor, says the United States’ reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reflects a broader shift from a rules-based international order to a power-based one, driven largely by economic and strategic interests.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (5 January ), Dr. Hlovor said the operation fits into a long history of US interventions in Latin America and should not be viewed as an isolated incident.
“This is not the first time the US has arrested a sitting president,” he said, referencing the 1989 capture of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega on narcotics-related charges.
A Familiar US Blueprint
Dr. Hlovor explained that US interventions typically follow a consistent pattern: accusations of threats to regional stability, democracy, or US national security—often masking deeper strategic interests.
“In Noriega’s case, US commercial interests, particularly the Panama Canal, were central. In Venezuela’s case, the underlying issue is oil,” he said.
He noted that Venezuela’s efforts to reduce US influence by strengthening ties with China and Russia have made it increasingly unacceptable to Washington.
Economic Interests Over Narcotics
According to Dr. Hlovor, claims that the operation was driven by narcotics concerns are weak, given that major drug flows into the US originate from countries like Colombia and Mexico, not Venezuela.
“When you listen carefully to Trump’s rhetoric, the economic reality becomes clear. Venezuela has oil within the US sphere of influence, and that is the strategic concern,” he said.
Dr. Hlovor said the operation was also intended to demonstrate continued US military supremacy, despite global debates about declining American power.
“This was a message to the world that the US remains unmatched militarily,” he said, adding that the speed of the operation suggests possible internal compromises within Venezuela’s security apparatus.
Implications for Smaller States
He warned that the incident sends a troubling signal to countries in the Global South, forcing leaders to align their policies with major powers to guarantee their own security.
“This creates a world where sovereignty is conditional on loyalty to powerful states,” he said.
Drawing parallels with Libya, Dr. Hlovor noted that the removal of Muammar Gaddafi continues to destabilise Africa through terrorism, arms proliferation, and irregular migration.
End of the Rules-Based Order
Dr. Hlovor argued that the action undermines the moral authority of the US to condemn similar violations by other powers.
“You cannot arrest the president of Venezuela and then condemn Russia for invading Ukraine or China for threatening Taiwan. The moral ground is lost,” he said.
He warned that such precedents could embolden other major powers to justify territorial invasions or regime-change operations elsewhere.
Dr. Hlovor cautioned that increased global insecurity will force developing countries to divert resources from social welfare to military spending—often benefiting arms-producing states.
“For Africa, this is deeply worrying. Funds meant for health, education, and development will increasingly go into security,” he said.
What Africa Must Do
He urged African states, including Ghana, to pursue collective regional responses through bodies such as ECOWAS, rather than relying on external powers.
“African unity must move beyond rhetoric to real military, economic, and political structures,” he said, calling for a strengthened ECOWAS standby force to address insecurity without foreign intervention.
Dr. Hlovor added that Ghana should prioritise coalition-building within the Global South and advocate joint regional positions to apply stronger moral and diplomatic pressure on global powers.
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