I was serving at our Embassy in Buenos Aires during the U.S. (CIA)-backed coup led by General Pinochet in Chile in 1973, which drove Chile’s socialist president Allende to suicide. I remember those days as if they were yesterday. I also remember my American colleagues boasting to me about the “feats” of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) in South American countries. This time, Venezuela’s socialist president Maduro and his wife Flores were taken from their beds and brought to the United States in an operation watched live on video by Trump.

The perception operation

The U.S. justifies this “rogue state” action with claims that “Maduro is the leader of the Cartel of the Suns,” that he “poisoned Americans with drugs,” that he ‘rigged elections’ and that he is “a dictator who mistreats his people.” Using a new method of warfare, blockades along with boats sunk on the claim they were carrying drugs, seized tankers, and photos filled with DEA agents showing the kidnapping of Maduro and his wife, it is conducting a perception operation.

The facts

Latin Americans, who have chewed coca leaves since the time of the Incas and Aztecs, are not drug addicts. Only 5% of the cocaine entering the U.S. originates in Venezuela. Trump prefers to fight the drug supply rather than the widespread drug addiction in the United States, just as President Nixon did in the 1970s when he halted opium production in Turkey.

The accusations leveled against Maduro recall the intervention in Iraq, justified by claims of weapons of mass destruction -claims later denied by none other than British Prime Minister Blair himself. In fact, Trump revealed the truth at a press conference, with his usual bluntness: “U.S. companies built Venezuela’s oil industry, but Venezuela stole it from us. Now our big companies will extract the oil again. We will run Venezuela until there is a proper change of government.”

Pax Americana and the countries next in line

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio declared, “I hope what happened last night has taught everyone the necessary lesson!”, announcing that there will no longer be law, international institutions (the UN, Security Council, International Court of Justice, etc.) in international relations, but rather a “Pax Americana” in which threats, bullying, and only U.S. interests prevail, and America gets its way.

Trump also spelled out the future. Next in line are Cuba “a very failed state; we’ll help its people,” he said and Iran, about which he warned, “If it continues killing its people, we will intervene very harshly,” and even NATO ally Denmark (Greenland). As Trump was saying this, reports appeared in the press that Mossad and the CIA were behind the unrest in Iran. The Iranian people will be provoked and pitted against the government and Iran will be bombed on the pretext of deaths. This scenario recalls the recent intervention in Syria, justified by claims that chemical weapons were used against its people, claims later shown to be false by investigations of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The new U.S. policy and Turkey

As the United States loses power in every sphere, it appears determined to pursue a policy that disregards law and is based on threats, bullying, and even direct physical attacks on anyone in its way in order to maintain its position. The repercussions of this policy for China, Russia, the EU, and NATO and the recent developments in Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the Pacific that resemble a replay of the period before World War II closely concern Turkey. The coercive and aggressive U.S. stance on sharing increasingly scarce natural resources could lead to regional or even global conflicts that may pose existential problems for Turkey. 

The economic collapse and the isolation Turkey has fallen into due to the foreign policy pursued for the past 23 years further heighten the danger. The survival and strengthening of the Republic of Turkey as a nation-state do not appear to be among U.S. priorities or preferences. The declining domestic support for the ruling People’s Alliance and Erdoğan’s insistence on remaining in power for personal reasons are narrowing Turkey’s options and constricting its room for maneuver.

Turkey must correctly assess the negative developments that may arise and their possible effects on the country; it should immediately go to elections to eliminate the legitimacy deficit pointed out by U.S. Ambassador Barrack. Afterwards, it must take measures to keep Turkey out of a possible regional and global turmoil/war and adapt its foreign and alliance relations including NATO, to the new situation. The Republic of Turkey can do this with the right government, as it has precedents in its history, most notably the successful interwar period between the two world wars and its ability to stay out of a world war, as well as its stance during the Russia-Ukraine war.