Oil, power, and intervention: The case for peaceful resistance in Venezuela

By N.S. Venkataraman*

History may record U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to invade Venezuela, arrest its President and his wife, and forcibly take them to the United States to face trial in a U.S. court as one of the gravest errors committed by an American President. This action represents a fatal misjudgment that seriously damages the moral standing and international credibility of the United States. It may take decades for future U.S. administrations to undo the disrepute caused by this episode.

Historians and discerning observers are likely to compare this move with China’s invasion and occupation of Tibet in the 1950s. China justified its action by claiming that Tibet was an integral part of its territory. Similarly, President Trump has sought to justify the invasion of Venezuela by alleging that the Venezuelan government is involved in drug trafficking. In both cases, such justifications appear to be little more than façades designed to conceal deeper strategic and economic motives. While China sought control over Tibet for its strategic location and natural resources, the United States’ interest in Venezuela is clearly linked to its vast oil reserves. President Trump’s assertion that the U.S. would control Venezuela and its oil resources only reinforces this perception.

Global public opinion largely views Trump’s aggressive posture towards Venezuela as a violation of international law and as morally indefensible. Nevertheless, as with China’s occupation of Tibet, some governments may support or tacitly accept this action for geopolitical reasons. It is therefore possible that, despite widespread criticism, Venezuela may be brought under effective U.S. control.

This raises a critical question: what options remain for the people of Venezuela, who are understandably angry, humiliated, and frustrated by this intervention? Whatever President Trump’s view of Venezuela’s leadership, it is the sovereign right of the Venezuelan people alone to decide who governs them.

A resistance movement to liberate Venezuela from foreign domination is almost inevitable. However, as history shows, international sympathy often remains confined to expressions of concern rather than concrete action. The people of Tibet, for instance, were largely left to struggle against Chinese aggression on their own. Venezuela may face a similar reality.

Given the vast military superiority of the United States, any armed or guerrilla-style resistance within Venezuela would likely be met with overwhelming force. President Trump has shown little inclination to restrain the use of military power, even in the face of global condemnation. Such a path would only lead to immense human suffering without achieving meaningful liberation.

In this context, the most viable and morally powerful option available to the people of Venezuela is the launch of a sustained, mass-based, non-violent movement, inspired by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. India’s freedom struggle demonstrated the extraordinary strength of Satyagraha—a philosophy rooted in “holding firmly to truth” or “insistence on truth.” This peaceful resistance became such a formidable moral force that the British Empire, despite its military might, was eventually compelled to withdraw.

It is also important to note that, despite President Trump’s actions, a significant section of the American public remains deeply committed to democratic values and freedom of expression. Many U.S. citizens have already questioned and condemned this act of aggression in unequivocal terms.

A Gandhian-style peaceful movement in Venezuela would exert immense pressure not only from the international community but also from within the United States itself. It would appeal to the conscience of ordinary Americans and expose the ethical bankruptcy of military domination.

President Trump’s actions have set a dangerous precedent for international relations and have brought disrepute to the United States. This injustice must be resisted. Such resistance should begin with the people of Venezuela themselves—through unarmed, peaceful agitation capable of awakening the conscience of the world and, crucially, the conscience of U.S. citizens as well.

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*Trustee, Nandini Voice for the Deprived, Chennai

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