To whom and what message did US imperialism send with its thuggery in Venezuela?

The world continues to talk about the US attack on Venezuela and the barbarism, thuggery, banditry, tyranny, and piracy it committed against the country's leader, Maduro. With what it did to Maduro and his wife, Trump—and US imperialism, which is thuggery organized in the form of a state—has once again shown that it disregards international law, the fundamental principles, values, and concepts of international relations, international organizations, and the independence, integrity, and sovereign equality of states through its attacks and occupations. Let us list what else it has shown in points.

First, US imperialism cannot function without war. It is addicted to war. It is compelled to fight. This compulsion is a necessity not only in terms of the military-industrial structure, which is one of the dominant sectors of the US economy, but also in terms of the US's political culture, military organization, foreign policy, and finance.

Second, in the security strategy document announced in the final months of 2025 and also known by the name of US President Trump (this is a tradition in the US; the national security strategy document is named after the president of that period), the US, by referring to the Monroe Doctrine, was once again highlighting the emphasis that "America is for the Americans." The meaning of this is that the US wants full and absolute influence in Central and South America, which it has long viewed as its backyard, and with the Trump administration, in Canada to the north as well. Trump, who is known to be uncomfortable with China's increasing weight in Latin America in recent years, including in Venezuela, and who wants to seize the Panama Canal—to use the fashionable term of recent years—due to the same fear of China, defines this doctrine as the "Donroe Doctrine" by making a reference to his own name.

Third, while Trump says that they will govern Venezuela, US oil companies have begun to rub their hands. The country, which has the world's richest oil reserves and is known for its wealth in natural gas resources, is also rich in precious metals, rare elements, and valuable minerals. The US is seizing these.

Fourth, US imperialism claims that Maduro runs a major drug network, is arming himself, and supports terrorist organizations in order to ground and justify its aggression and barbarism. No one with a mind, logic, common sense, and conscience, and who knows a little history, believes these.

Fifth, besides the US, Western countries that are skilled in money laundering, such as the UK and Switzerland, seized Venezuela's assets abroad and money in banks without any court ruling. This situation shows that even the most prominent countries of capitalism do not comply with the most basic rules of capitalism and liberalism, nor with property rights and their guarantees.

Sixth, with its thuggery, the US is intimidating the world and brandishing a stick. It is showing that it will not comply with the order for which the US itself set the rules and established the institutions. Trump is issuing threats to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Iran, and Panama. He wants to seize Greenland, a territory of Denmark, which is a member of NATO and the EU, and make Canada a US state.

Seventh, the violent protests in Iran that go far beyond the peaceful demonstrations of a people with rightful and legitimate demands should be considered in conjunction with the US-Israel duo's efforts to change the regime in Tehran. However, they cannot do in Iran what they did to Maduro.

Eighth, there are midterm elections in the US this year. Trump needs a foreign policy success. He will use his seizure of Venezuela in domestic politics. His criticism, and even humiliation, of previous US presidents in front of cameras shows this.

Ninth, the silence of countries, with a few exceptions, is proof of how much the US is feared. The UN is already not even being mentioned.

Tenth, in the West, in the Christian world, Venezuela and Maduro are a country and a leader that loudly oppose Israel's Zionist policies and its genocide in Gaza. The fact that there has been no serious reaction from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation or the 22-member Arab League to the kidnapping of Maduro, who declared the Israeli ambassador persona non grata, shows the state of the Islamic world and the Arab realm.

Eleventh, the fact that Maduro was found so quickly and so easily by US soldiers and kidnapped comfortably, that there was no effective resistance, that not a single US aircraft was shot down, and that the US suffered no military casualties shows that there is a major intelligence, security, and protection weakness in Venezuela. It increases suspicions of betrayal from Maduro's inner circle and the civil-military security bureaucracy.

Twelfth, Venezuela is one of China's most important oil suppliers. With its thuggery, the US is also sending a message to China. The US's discomfort with China's increasing investments, loans, and developing relations in Latin America is known.

Thirteenth, besides being an important oil producer and exporter, the US has also become a prominent country in LNG and shale gas sales in recent years. By seizing Venezuelan oil, it wants to exert pressure on energy resources outside its country, energy routes, and the energy suppliers of its rivals (especially China).

Fourteenth, US imperialism has a very dirty and bloody history regarding coups and coup attempts in Latin America. There is even a school in the US to train coup plotters in Latin America: The School of the Americas.

Fifteenth, the people of Venezuela, including those who oppose Maduro, must fight together to get rid of this situation. What will save an organized people is, first and foremost, only and exclusively themselves. The following French proverb is instructive: The most humiliating and degrading situation for a nation is to be occupied by the army of another country. What is more humiliating and degrading than this is to be "saved" by the army of another country.

Sixteenth, the situation of the opposition within and outside Venezuela who rejoice at the US attacking Venezuela and kidnapping Maduro—especially the opposition leader who received a Nobel Prize, dedicated the award to Trump, and is an admirer of the US and Israel—reminds us of this saying in Turkey: "If they saw an occupying Greek soldier in Anatolia, they would hug him and call him brother-in-law."