Statement by Supporters of the Iran Anti-Imperialist Left Alliance —
January 6, 2026 —
The fall of imperialism into gangster logic; collapse of law and order on a global scale.
What has happened today by the United States of America towards Venezuela is not an exceptional event, nor a passing foreign policy error, nor even a mere limited violation of international law, but a clear sign of the collapse of those long-standing masks and the exposure of the true logic of imperialism on the world stage. The order that was built after the world wars, at great cost to humanity, as a minimal framework for containing force and regulating relations between states, is now in retreat more than ever. In this situation, the exercise of power no longer takes place even under the cover of law and norm, but the logic of force, coercion, and direct and reckless political gangsterism imposes itself as the dominant mode of action in international relations. In such a situation, even the pretense of “democracy,” “rule of law,” or a “rules-based international order” is abandoned. The dominant power places itself above oversight institutions, public opinion, and accepted rules, and sends an unambiguous message to the world: the sovereignty of countries is considered valid only insofar as it aligns with the interests of imperialism; otherwise, political and legal immunity will not be recognized.
The kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro, the legitimate President of Venezuela, an independent state and member of the United Nations, along with the assertion of the right to intervene in the sovereignty and resources of that country, represents a deliberate transgression by a dominant power of the recognized rules of international relations. This act is directed not only at Venezuela, but also at the principle of the sovereignty of nations and the very validity of the concept of law on a global scale; an act that must be understood along the same logic of domination that has repeatedly turned Latin America into a field of intervention, humiliation and plunder. What the United States government has committed is not simply the kidnapping of an individual or even a political figure; it is a practical denial of national sovereignty and a clear attempt to break the will of a resilient nation. A nation that has lived for years under the pressure of crippling sanctions, economic warfare, organized sabotage and constant threats, and yet has not surrendered. The kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro is an attempt to compensate for the failure of the series of scenarios that were previously used to contain and subjugate Venezuela.
Therefore, what is happening against Venezuela must be understood within the framework of a broader hegemonic strategy, one that seeks to restore the logic of guardianship and hegemony over Latin America, guaranteeing unlimited access to natural resources and political control of the region, while at the same time intimidating independent states and peoples with a naked display of force. In this sense, Venezuela is not an isolated target, but rather a testing ground for a policy that intends to once again make the logic of domination and subordination the rule of the region.
In the face of such aggression, an effective response is not only within the framework of international institutions, but also in conscious and simultaneous action at the level of social mobilization: the expansion of international solidarity with the Venezuelan people by the resistance, progressive, leftist and anti-imperialist forces of the world, to push back, prevent the normalization of this aggression, and increase its political costs. At the same time, one must be vigilant against imperialism’s psychological and propaganda warfare; an organized attempt to create divisions with the aim of undermining public trust and damaging national unity in Venezuela. This scenario is an integral part of the aggression and can only be neutralized through political awareness and the maintenance of social cohesion.
Venezuela is not alone in this. In Iran, a nation that has itself experienced years of sanctions, military threats, and organized pressure against national sovereignty, this action is not a distant event, but a direct attack on the principle of the sovereignty of nations. Student organizations, youth, political activists, and anti-imperialist forces in different parts of the country have declared their solidarity with the Venezuelan people and expressed their support for their resistance; a solidarity rooted in the shared experience of resisting domination and humiliation. At the global level, millions of free people also consider this aggression a dangerous heresy that, if left unanswered, will threaten the legal security of all countries. The silence of European governments and international institutions, especially the United Nations, is not a sign of neutrality, but a sign of the erosion of the institutional authority of the order that was supposed to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
We warn: if this path is not checked, the world will be pushed further and further towards a situation in which force replaces law and barbarity becomes another name for politics. But as long as nations do not submit to humiliation, as long as Venezuela stands, and as long as solidarity among independent nations is alive, this barbarity will experience a humiliating defeat.