“Trump’s actions have shown that the attacks on Venezuela have nothing to do with drug trafficking and everything to do with regime change to secure the country’s vast oil reserves – the largest in the world.”
By Sophie Bolt, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The US illegal attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of its President mark the acceleration of Trump’s global war drive and the further undermining of the framework of international law. The use of force against Venezuela is in direct violation of Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations. It also contravenes the core legal principles of the Organization of American States and the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), including respect for sovereignty, non-intervention, and peaceful coexistence.
The illegal assault on Venezuela has been characterised by the scale of US military aggression. Reports suggest that the US attack included Tomahawk cruise missiles, F-35 fighter jets with more than 150 US aircraft deployed. This followed months of a huge military build-up on Venezuela’s coast to threaten the population, including nuclear-capable B52 long-range bombers that had been making flights from the US to the Venezuelan coast. This has threatened the 1967 nuclear free zone Treaty of Tlatelolco which includes Latin America and the Caribbean and has been the cornerstone of regional stability.
Trump is now threatening the entire population with further strikes if they do not submit to the US and has Cuba and other Latin American countries in his sights. He is also intensifying threats against Greenland – the autonomous territory in NATO member state Denmark – which is rich in minerals and, because of the impact of climate change, is now placed at new trade routes in the Arctic.
Trump’s actions have shown that the attacks on Venezuela have nothing to do with drug trafficking and everything to do with regime change to secure the country’s vast oil reserves – the largest in the world. According to UN experts, the US oil blockade – which they describe as the “unilateral coercive measures… including a naval blockade and the armed seizure of tankers” – is also contrary to international and humanitarian law.
Outrageously, the British government has actively facilitated the seizure of the Marinera oil tanker – meaning it too is likely breaching international law. It’s military involvement has been extensive. Surveillance aircraft RAF Rivet Joint, based at RAF Waddington, participated, together with British naval vessel RFA Tideforce which gave refuelling support to US forces. The US P-8 Poseidon aircraft that took part in the seizure flew from RAF Mildenhall. Evidence suggests that US aircraft pilots trained at RAF Fairford in preparation for the illegal seizure. US activity at these two bases is increasing, indicating preparations for further actions against Venezuela, or possibly Greenland.
This is just another example of Britain’s critical role in Trump’s global war. Deadly US nuclear bombs are now stationed at RAF Lakenheath that can be launched with nuclear-capable F35A fighter jets – jets that Britain is also buying to expand its nuclear capability for NATO.
The objectives behind Trump’s attacks on Venezuela are starkly laid out in the US National Security Strategy. It asserts that the US needs to restore its “pre-eminence” in the world, so that no other nation can challenge it, meaning the US can “assert ourselves confidently where and when we need to”. Central to this strategy is increasing even further the US’s overwhelming military might including the “most robust, credible and modern nuclear deterrent”. Hence Trump’s calls for a $1.5 trillion 2027 military budget.
The US’s brutal self-interest, which Trump’s attacks reveal, threatens all countries whose resources or geopolitical importance the US views as theirs for the taking. It reflects a world order that facilitates genocide, is accelerating climate breakdown and dragging the world closer to nuclear war.
Across the world, the movement for an alternative to war and the threat of nuclear weapons is growing, for a world based on global cooperation, peace and respect for international law. Opposition to the attacks on Venezuela are significant and growing too. In the US both Democrats and Republicans have condemned the actions and are supporting ‘war powers’ legislation to stop Trump from taking further action against Venezuela without authorisation from Congress. In Britain the trade union movement has come out strongly against the action.
With the nuclear threats rising, now more than ever, we must work together to build that movement.
Join CND at the emergency demonstration on Saturday 10 January at Downing Street which takes place at 1pm. Organised by Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, CND and Stop the War.
CND is also supporting the demonstration at RAF Fairford on Sunday 18 January, organised by DroneWars, NukeWatch against the use of the base in the assault on Venezuela . Look out for details here.
- Sophie Bolt is the General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). You can follow her on Twitter/X and follow the CND on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.
- This article was originally published by the CND on 9 January 2025.
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