By Zhong Sheng

At the beginning of 2026, the international order suffered severe disruption due to hegemonic actions. The United States launched military strikes against Venezuela and sent forces to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

On January 5, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting to address the crisis. Representatives of many countries condemned the U.S. actions and stressed the need to uphold international law, including the UN Charter.

By unilaterally interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs, the United States has fully exposed the power politics underlying its approach to international affairs, particularly in Latin America. Such conduct not only gravely undermines the rule of law in international relations but also poses a serious threat to regional peace and security.

According to the UN Charter, the relationship among UN members shall be based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality. Besides, all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.

These principles form the cornerstone of modern international relations. Yet the United States has disregarded international law and the fundamental norms governing international relations, challenging justice with brute force and trampling fairness for private gain, brazenly dragging the law of the jungle into 21st-century international affairs.

The U.S. side has even openly declared that it will “run” Venezuela and allow major U.S. oil companies to enter the country. This blunt declaration of plunder has torn away its last veil of disguise.

France’s Le Monde observed that the strikes on Venezuela marked “the return of U.S. predatory imperialism.” Britain’s The Guardian noted that Washington’s actions resembled the Iraq War and followed its long-standing pattern of seizing other countries’ resources.

From Afghanistan and Iraq to Libya and Syria, and now Venezuela, whenever a country or region becomes a designated U.S. foreign policy priority, conflict and disaster often follow. Hegemonic powers depart at will, leaving prolonged instability while their domestic interests profit.

“Today it’s Venezuela; tomorrow it could be any country,” Chilean President Gabriel Boric remarked, reflecting widespread concern within the international community.

The hegemonic conduct by the United States constitutes a primary source of global instability. A genuine international order must be built on principles of equality and mutual respect. When the law of the jungle supplants international rules, the interests of every member of the global community are jeopardized.

A world where brute power overrides justice inevitably becomes one of perpetual unrest and insecurity. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that U.S. actions against Venezuela have set a “dangerous precedent.”

Contemporary global dynamics no longer permit unilateral hegemony. The course of history, the awakening of peoples, and evolving geopolitical realities demonstrate that unilateralism, self-centeredness, and reckless hegemonic behavior run counter to the will of humanity.

From Venezuela to Latin America to the broader international community—including voices within the United States—widespread condemnation of hegemonic actions has erupted.

The governments of Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain issued a joint statement on the situation in Venezuela to express deep concern and rejection, noting that unilateral military actions against the country constitute an “extremely dangerous precedent” for peace and regional security, and violate international law and the basic principles of the UN Charter.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that the U.S. military action violates the principle of non-use of force upon which international law is founded. The European Union stressed that international law and the principles of the UN Charter must be respected under all circumstances.

No country possesses the authority to act as the world’s policeman or self-appointed arbiter of international law. Venezuela is a sovereign country whose rights must be inviolable, and whose people deserve protection from externally imposed turmoil.

The United States must heed the international community’s call for justice: immediately release President Maduro and his wife; cease attempts to overthrow Venezuela’s government; and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation.

Permitting hegemonic expansion to proceed unchallenged erodes the foundations of global stability. All countries rejecting the law of the jungle must steadfastly uphold international law and UN Charter principles, taking unequivocal stands against unilateral aggression. This constitutes not merely a defense of global justice, but an investment in the future of world peace.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

Source: People’s Daily