10 January 2026

The Cost of Europe’s Weak Venezuela Response

Rosa Balfour

The United States violated both international and domestic law with the abduction of Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro. The operation, following months of bombardments against small vessels in the Caribbean Sea, starkly shows that the erosion of democracy at home and the rules-based order are two sides of the same coin.

International law has always been fragile, selectively applied, and reflective of power and interests, not just norms and ideals. Even an imperfect application of these principles requires the support of democratic states and international institutions. Yet most European responses to U.S. action have failed to offer that necessary defense.

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