Venezuela/US and AUKUS

3/01/2026

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The unprecedented U.S. military assault on Venezuela — claiming the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife — represents a dangerous escalation with profound implications for international law, regional stability, and global norms. Reports indicate that early on 3 January U.S. forces carried out large-scale strikes on Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, with Washington asserting Maduro was captured and flown out of the country. Venezuela’s government has condemned the action as “military aggression” and a violation of its sovereignty, and has declared a state of emergency in response to the bombardment and explosions across multiple regions.

This act of unilateral force — undertaken without public Congressional approval and without clear evidence of an imminent threat to the United States — should alarm all who value the rule of law and peaceful dispute resolution among nations. Such conduct echoes past interventions that destabilised sovereign states and heightened risks of broader conflict. It sets a chilling precedent that powerful nations may override diplomatic channels and international norms to pursue political ends.

Meanwhile here at home, Canberra has just authorised a $1.5 billion down payment as part of the controversial AUKUS nuclear submarine deal — at precisely the moment our own citizens are struggling under the weight of urgent domestic crises. We are in the midst of a severe housing shortage, significant shortfalls in disability support funding, and a health system groaning under demand that leaves many waiting for basic care.

How is it justifiable to prioritise distant military alignments over foundational social infrastructure on which Australians depend? If ever there was a moment to question — and indeed to terminate or fundamentally rethink — our commitments to costly foreign defence arrangements that siphon billions from vital public services, the unilateral U.S. attack on Venezuela provides exactly that catalyst. No democracy should bind itself to strategic partnerships that enable or endorse military adventurism that contravenes international law and diverts resources away from pressing human needs at home.

Australia must assert its independence, uphold global norms of sovereignty and non-intervention, and refocus its public spending on housing, health and disability support. Anything less is a disservice to our values and to the Australian people.

Suresh Rajan