From rules-based order to rule by power

THE reported US operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, followed by President Donald Trump's declaration that America would “run” Venezuela, has triggered a global debate that goes far beyond Venezuela itself.

- By Dr. Jayalath Bandara Adikarige

The deeper issue is precedent: when great powers choose governments by force without clear legal authority or accountability, the rules based order becomes optional and the world drifts toward rule by power.

1. What happened in Venezuela in simple terms

In the first hours after the news broke, international media reported US strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, who was subsequently flown out of the country [1]. This framing suggested something more than a counter narcotics or limited security operation. It implied the seizure of a sitting head of state and the deliberate shaping of a successor authority. The second shock followed quickly. President Donald Trump publicly stated that the United States would “run” Venezuela during the transition [2]. Whether later clarified or softened, the phrase matters. It signals not pressure or diplomacy, but governance — an assertion that the United States intends to exercise administrative authority over another sovereign State.

2. How people reacted and why it matters