‘Have we forgotten Iraq?’: PKR slams US over removal of Maduro

SHAH ALAM – PKR has issued a stinging rebuke of the United States’ (US) military intervention in Venezuela, questioning the moral authority of the US to "police the world" while ignoring its own history of geopolitical transgressions.

In a statement released on Monday, PKR deputy secretary-general Aidi Amin Yazid warned that the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro could lead to a power vacuum similar to the one created by the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Aidi drew sharp parallels between current events and the US-led invasion of Iraq two decades ago, which was predicated on the widely discredited claim of "weapons of mass destruction" (WMD).

"Have we forgotten about the bogus 2003 WMD claim against Iraq?

"The impact of that war significantly destabilised the Middle East and fundamentally reshaped its geopolitical landscape," Aidi said.

He stated that the resulting power vacuum facilitated the rise of potent non-state actors, questioning if a similar fate now awaits Latin America.

The statement highlighted concerns over the economic motivations behind the US operation.

Venezuela currently holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 303 billion barrels.

Aidi also described US President Donald Trump’s declaration that the US will "run" Venezuela until a "safe" transition is achieved as an alarming development.

"Globally, national leaders are still adjusting to Trump having weaponised ‘tariffs’ to protect US industries. Now, a precedent has been set for sending in troops when one does not ‘listen’ to the American President."

The intervention has triggered a diplomatic firestorm at the United Nations.

Colombia, a member of the United Nations Security Council, has requested an emergency meeting following the military operation that saw Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, forcibly removed from the country.

Venezuela also formally requested an emergency session on Jan 3, a move supported by permanent Security Council members China and Russia.

The PKR leader added that critics are drawing parallels to the 1989 US invasion of Panama, where General Manuel Noriega was ousted.

While circumstances differ, Aidi cautioned that "history is always written by winners."

"Humanity must be reminded that as you become more empowered, you must instead become more inclusive," he said, lamenting that the global experience of the Covid-19 pandemic failed to provide a "reset" for peaceful coexistence.

He said the start of a new year is just another opportunity to teach us that humanity remains its own greatest enemy.