By Povl H. Riis-Knudsen

Russia’s fully justified military operation against Ukraine to protect the Russian-speaking population in Donbas has now, for almost four years, been described as “unprovoked aggression” against another “sovereign country.” This is allegedly contrary to the rules-based world order unilaterally dictated by the United States. But what do we see now? The world’s policeman, who has appointed himself to enforce this order, is carrying out, in full public view, an absolutely unprovoked aggression against a sovereign country – without any criticism from the governments that are so busy criticizing Russia. There is absolutely no rules-based world order – and apparently no international law either. There is only the law of the jungle.

It is irrelevant whether we like Maduro or not. He is Venezuela’s legally elected president. Was the election rigged? We have no real idea – but rigged elections seem to be the order of the day in Europe – including Denmark – so that cannot be a criterion for his legitimacy. All in all, 99.9% of the Danish population knows absolutely nothing about Venezuela – except what they are fed by the state-run media (i.e., all television channels, radio channels, and the rest of the press – all of which are funded by the state). I am not claiming to be an expert on Venezuela either. I don’t have time to follow all countries and all conflicts – but I am not unfamiliar with Latin America as such, and this continent is only exceptionally distinguished by producing great leaders, and the populations, well – in most places have a certain difficulty adapting to the European way of life and form of government that has been imposed on them by history. As in Europe, people seek to go where the grass is greenest – and that has almost always been Argentina, even though the country is on the brink of bankruptcy as a result of corruption and extremely poor leadership.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Venezuela was the hope of South America. Factories were built and the country’s oil production was developed with the help of the American oil industry. However, the country’s social development was neglected. As early as the 1960s, forward-thinking people saw that this would end badly. Social problems grew, and with them, divisions in society. The European-descended population, which was a minority, increased its standard of living, while the indigenous population did not feel that it was getting its share of the progress. This culminated in Hugo Chavez’s takeover of the presidency in 1999. Chavez was elected on a populist-socialist platform. He implemented extensive social reforms – and nationalized the oil industry, which had come under massive American control. The US then imposed economic sanctions on the country. These sanctions hit the oil industry, which was dependent on American technology and know-how. Socialism has never been the path to prosperity for the rich and has therefore always damaged economic initiative. But Chávez’s reforms benefited the poor in the short term, who now had access to medical care and education. In the longer term, however, experience shows that it makes everyone poorer, but Venezuela is by nature a very rich country, which without outside interference could probably have managed on its own. The sanctions, however, were suffocating. Venezuela’s only real friend is Cuba – which itself has suffered from sanctions since the US coup in the country in 1959. The US strategy is clear: sanctions create poverty, poverty creates rebellion, rebellion provides fertile ground for a pro-US regime change – with the help of the US, of course. This is the course that has been followed in Syria and Iran, for example. And then, of course, there are Venezuela’s natural resources in the form of oil, gold, etc. Washington would like to get its hands on those again, just as it has stolen Syria’s oil fields and is eyeing Iran’s resources with greed. Criminals can never get enough!

I am a little dismayed when talented and knowledgeable people on Facebook rejoice over the fall of the “dictatorship” in Venezuela and the “liberation” of the population. As if we had a better government here under our PM Madam Frederiksen, who should really just stay at home and embroider and make jam for the family. We have a system where it can be completely irrelevant which party forms the government – the policies pursued will always remain the same, and they will lead to the downfall of the nation. In 50 years, Denmark will be a Muslim state and the population an unrecognizable brown mass. That is, if Frederiksen does not succeed in starting World War III, which will lay waste to the planet. Is this system better than Maduro’s? If you think so, I think you have a problem, but in any case, we should not interfere in the government of Venezuela. It really is none of our business! They have to deal with it themselves. Some are naturally dissatisfied and have left the country, but it is now my impression that the majority of the population supports Maduro – especially after Trump’s abduction of him. The poor make up a massive majority in Venezuela. There are people everywhere who are dissatisfied with the government. I am very dissatisfied with Mette Frederiksen – if I were young today, I would leave Denmark – not with joy, but with sorrow! The heads of government in England, France, and Germany have long since been rejected by the people, but they remain in power nonetheless. In England, local elections are being canceled, and in Germany, attempts are being made to ban the country’s largest opposition party. Macron’s antics to keep the opposition out are anything but democratic. All European countries are on the brink of bankruptcy. Should this form of government be a model to follow?

In any case, Trump’s abduction of Venezuela’s president is a flagrant violation of international law. The accusations he makes against Maduro have no basis in reality. A US report on the drug situation in the US mentions Mexico and Colombia as the largest suppliers of drugs to the US – Venezuela is not even on the list. A glance at the map shows why. When Trump has speedboats and fishing boats sunk and everyone on board killed, it is a common criminal act that violates both international and US law. If a boat is suspected of carrying illegal goods, it can be boarded, searched, and, if necessary, the crew arrested – once the boat reaches US territorial waters. You cannot simply kill the crew. That is murder. As for the ships, we must simply note that there are more than 2,000 km as the crow flies between Venezuela and the US mainland. The sunken boats can probably sail 500 km, and there are no gas stations along the way. Incidentally, a boat transporting drugs does not have room for 11 passengers. And in any case, you are not allowed to shoot people lying in the water. Not under civil law, not under military law – not at all, not even in a state of war.

Venezuela is also not a base for Hamas or ISIS. But even if it were, it would not be a crime – at least not something that concerns the United States. They are not affected by it, and one of the leaders of a branch of Islamic State has just been welcomed into the Oval Office by President Trump himself – just as New York’s Islamist mayor has also received praise. It might be more obvious to look for Islamist terrorists in Detroit, where people feel like they’re in the Middle East.

In short, none of the accusations against Maduro hold water. Maduro may well be a terrible person. So is Mette Frederiksen. But in a society based on the rule of law, even terrible people enjoy protection from being abducted by a gangster organization, because that is what the United States under Trump has become.

This is sad, because I have always had great sympathy for Trump. His MAGA program was really positive, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a real asset as Secretary of Health, where he is trying to clean up the bottomless corruption of the pharmaceutical industry, which makes medical care so insanely expensive in the US. However, Trump has failed his voters. Instead of continuing the clean-up of widespread corruption in the government and state apparatus that he had begun with Elon Musk as his cleaning assistant, instead of protecting the US’s borders, instead of ensuring decent conditions for ordinary people in the US, he is now playing the strong man on the international stage. He had promised to pull America out of wars and conflicts – instead, he is creating more. Iran and Greenland will be next. Trump is the class bully, and it is time he got his spanking – which he will probably get in the midterm elections in November.

He has set a precedent that will naturally be noted in Beijing. Trump believes he can do whatever he wants in America’s backyard. How do you think they feel in Taiwan today? They are in China’s backyard, so there should be nothing to prevent China from occupying them, right? And what about Guam? And Ukraine is not just in Russia’s backyard – it is right in the entrance hall. Can we now be spared from hearing anything about a rules-based world order?

Incidentally, well-informed sources report that the US had simply infiltrated Maduro’s staff and bribed key figures in his inner circle, so that no more than about 80 people had to be killed during the operation, which did not trigger any significant resistance. The same was done in Syria, where everyone was surprised that the Syrian army suddenly disintegrated. They are probably trying the same thing in Iran, but that will probably be a tougher nut to crack. Despite all the economic problems caused by the sanctions, the Iranian people prefer the current regime to an American occupation – even if it is hidden behind a figurehead like the Shah’s son. They have tried that before. In Syria, the fighting has started again. Greenland will be much easier – no one will lift a finger, and why fight for Greenland when you’ve given away the rest of the country!

It is naive to believe that Maduro will get any kind of fair trial! Trump’s loss of prestige would be too great, so Maduro will probably be found hanged in his cell – just like Trump’s friend Jeffrey Epstein. Isn’t that what gangsters usually do?

The US is the worst terrorist state in the world. Americans believe they have the right to determine the form of government in other countries, and the US military has left a trail of blood throughout history. Well-ordered countries such as Libya, Syria, and Iraq have been laid in ruins, and with American support, Israel is in the process of committing genocide against the Palestinians – indeed, the American state itself rests on the genocide of the Native Americans.