On Saturday (January 17, 2026), Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared that Venezuelans remain united against any aggression that threatens national peace and stability 🛑. Hours earlier, citizens flooded the streets, demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
These demonstrations come after unprecedented U.S. strikes in Caracas roughly two weeks ago, which took the world by surprise. The operation, carried out under the banner of combating drug-related terrorism, also saw the forcible seizure of the sitting leader of a sovereign nation 🇻🇪.
Amid global condemnation, Renmin University of China scholar Wang Yiwei says that the U.S. has repackaged military action as law enforcement to dodge international law. By blurring the lines between wartime operations and policing, Wang argues, the U.S. sidesteps limits set by the United Nations Charter 🌐.
Wang traces this pattern back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, launched on the false pretext of weapons of mass destruction. He also points to the blockbuster-style narration of the Osama bin Laden raid and sensationalized coverage of Kosovo to highlight how selective storytelling can mask the violence of intervention 🎬.
By emphasizing precision strikes and special forces heroics, the U.S. narrative downplays civilian impact and frames aggression as noble. Wang notes that footage is often edited to showcase zero U.S. casualties while hiding scenes of civilian suffering in the targeted countries 😔.
Beyond hiding the human cost, this rhetoric serves another purpose: uniting domestic audiences. Creating external enemies allows Washington to deflect attention from political polarization at home and rally support around a common cause 💥.
Wang warns that such manipulations undercut the foundations of international rule of law, weaken trust between nations, and dilute shared global values. He calls on the international community to move beyond passive criticism and build a strong, sustainable collective response to prevent further erosions of sovereignty and legal order ✊.
In the coming weeks, all eyes will be on how regional actors and global bodies react. Will solidarity with Venezuela translate into concrete action, or will the status quo allow hegemonic rhetoric to shape the future of international relations? Stay tuned as this geopolitical story unfolds.
Reference(s):
Venezuelan tragedy: Hegemonic rhetoric poses challenge to intl order
cgtn.com
