Kulamadayil 2026-03-17T09:00:43 Even though previous U.S. administrations have certainly also pursued 'America First' policies, defined as the advancement of national, or rather corporate interests through U.S. foreign policy, including through overt and covert efforts to influence or change political regimes abroad, in the context of Venezuela, something felt different, something felt new.Exploring this change, I will view U.S. action in Venezuela from the perspective of 'big oil,' pondering what the damped response of corporate executives may tell us about international law and its interplay with global petro-capitalism.International lawyers have widely denounced the illegality of the abduction of a sitting head of Venezuela by U.S. military forces on 3 January 2026.Alex Neve, Member of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, succinctly put it: "The Maduro government's longstanding record of grave human rights violations does not justify a U.S. military intervention that breaches international law.Similarly, the illegality of the U.S. attack does not in any way diminish the clear responsibility of Venezuelan officials, including Mr. Maduro, for years of repression and violence amounting to crimes against humanity."
Lys Kulamadayil (Tue,) studied this question.