“Venezuela, Sovereignty and India’s Moment of Choice”, India Narrative, January 08, 2026

“The image of a sitting head of state being extracted by foreign military forces from his own capital is one the international system was meant to have buried with the Cold War. Yet on January 3, 2026, the United States did precisely that in Venezuela. The capture of President Nicolás Maduro under “Operation Absolute Resolve” is not merely a dramatic episode in Latin American politics; it is a stress test for the very idea of sovereignty in the twenty-first century.

While New Delhi has responded with calls for restraint, regional stability, and peaceful dialogue, language consistent with India’s reaction to Russia’s military action in Ukraine in February 2022, the implications of this intervention run far deeper than bilateral India–Venezuela ties. At stake is the credibility of the legal and political architecture on which the Global South has relied to protect itself from the discretionary use of power by stronger states.

BRICS nations voiced sharp concerns over the US military intervention in Venezuela, with Russia labelling it “armed aggression” and dismissing justifications as “groundless,” while China “strongly condemned” the action and urged Washington to “stop toppling the government.” Brazil warned that Maduro’s capture “crosses an unacceptable line” and sets a “dangerous precedent,” and South Africa decried it as a “manifest violation of the UN Charter,” demanding his release. India expressed milder “deep concern” and called for peaceful dialogue to ensure regional stability, highlighting varied intensities within the bloc but a shared emphasis on sovereignty……”

Read full article at indianarrative.com