2025 U.S. - Venezuela conflict

[Kirkhill]

The U.S. pressure has almost paralyzed Venezuela’s oil exports since last week, with only tankers chartered by Chevron setting sail carrying Venezuelan crude to the U.S. under an authorization previously granted by Washington, the data showed.

Tankers make u-turns after US seizure of Venezuelan oil cargo, shipping data says | BOE Report

A tanker carrying Russian naphtha for Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and at least four supertankers due to pick up crude cargoes in Venezuela have made u-turns after the U.S. seized a vessel carrying Venezuelan crude, ship monitoring data showed on Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard last week...

boereport.com

Trump to Maduro: you can sell your oil to whoever you like so long as it is me.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Is this really a conflict, and not an unprovoked, illegal invasion?

This is essentially bullying, but at an international scale with abuse of authority as Commander in Chief and a side of war crimes.

 

[QV]

It's fun watching those come out in support of an authoritarian dictator if it goes against the US.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Is this really a conflict, and not an unprovoked, illegal invasion?

This is essentially bullying, but at an international scale with abuse of authority as Commander in Chief and a side of war crimes.

Which is a form of Gunboat Diplomacy, of course

 

[Remius]

It's fun watching those come out in support of an authoritarian dictator if it goes against the US.

It’s also fun to watch the no new wars types try to explain this…

 

[QV]

It’s also fun to watch the no new wars types try to explain this…

Always for a more secure fortress North America.

 

[Quirky]

It's fun watching those come out in support of an authoritarian dictator if it goes against the USTrump.

FTFY

 

[Brad Sallows]

It’s also fun to watch the no new wars types try to explain this…

Yeah, it's a helluva climb down from "none" to "operations in the broad grey zone between conventional law enforcement and war". They're practically in Iraq/Afghanistan territory already. Next up, 150,000 to 1,000,000 deaths and $3T in direct and indirect costs. Bring on the sober serious Republicans with all their comity and decorum and see which regime-changing template those angels would re-apply from their past.

"None" and "all" are foolish choices most time they're used, but it doesn't take a high to degree of insight to understand that most people use them as synonyms for "very few" and "very many". I concluded Trump enthusiasts lost the right to angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin "none" long before this. All that's left to argue are utilitarian calculations, which are all that drives the customary and statutory law anyways.

Notwithstanding the administration's claims to be fighting a "war" against drug runners (irrespective of the extent to which the latter have infiltrated and control or can otherwise influence proper governments), the standard of measure for what's going on shouldn't be LOAC. For opponents to concede it's a war and that LOAC should apply is just begging for another paradigm shift in customary international humanitarian law. Set LOAC aside - to protect it - and deal with the practical problem that nations powerful enough to not have to put up with shit from outsiders creating serious domestic strife is an area of international law in need of revision.

In particular, "needs must". The worry over declaring terrorists, pirates, drug gangs, etc to simply be outlaws and therefore outside protection of the law is the same as the problem of capital punishment: how to prevent mistakes, including people being framed.

 

[brihard]

It's fun watching those come out in support of an authoritarian dictator if it goes against the US.

Who’s coming out in support of Maduro? A number of us see no valid legal pretext for the U.S. to violate Venezuelan sovereignty. Those are not the same thing at all. Maduro being a piece of shit does not legitimize potential U.S. aggression.

As Canadians we should have a very vested interest in the degree to which the U.S. recognizes and respects the full sovereignty of its regional neighbours.

 

[Kirkhill]

#Oil, #Venezuela, #China, #US, #Canada, #Alberta, #BC, #Pipelines, #Hybrid Warfare at Sea, #Lawless Commons....

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/ample-oil-supply-shields-china-from-impact-of-venezuela-disruption-for-now/

 

[Genetk44]

Fact is that recent history has shown quite clearly that Trump and his minions are not at all averse to conjuring totally overblown or even totally fake reasons to try and justify their very questionable actions. All countries, but especially his closest neighbours should stay very observant and aware.

 

[Lumber]

Who’s coming out in support of Maduro? A number of us see no valid legal pretext for the U.S. to violate Venezuelan sovereignty. Those are not the same thing at all. Maduro being a piece of shit does not legitimize potential U.S. aggression.

As Canadians we should have a very vested interest in the degree to which the U.S. recognizes and respects the full sovereignty of its regional neighbours.

Don't forget that to the pro-Trump crowd, laws are a bug, not a feature. The ends always justify the means, and honour and morality are vices.

 

[Kirkhill]

Do we have any specialists in the International Maritime Organization, Admiralty Law, Piracy, Smuggling, Sanctions and Blockades and responding to covert acts of war?

 

[Lumber]

Do we have any specialists in the International Maritime Organization, Admiralty Law, Piracy, Smuggling, Sanctions and Blockades and responding to covert acts of war?

I've sat through a LOAC/UNCLOS/San Remo briefing like... 5 times now. And I've participated in counter piracy/smuggling. Does that count?

 

[brihard]

Do we have any specialists in the International Maritime Organization, Admiralty Law, Piracy, Smuggling, Sanctions and Blockades and responding to covert acts of war?

That’s a bunch of broad things, each of which include a bunch of specific things. Do you have narrower questions?