THE United States military operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest and transfer of its then-president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores should serve as a wake-up call for countries like the Philippines, Herman Tiu Laurel, political analyst and president of the based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, said.
“The lesson for us is clear: if international law can be set aside by powerful states, then no country is really safe,” Laurel said in a forum over the weekend. “What happened to Venezuela can happen to any developing nation tomorrow. The Philippines must explore ways to safeguard itself without becoming entangled in unilateral power games.”
Laurel described the Jan. 3 operation as a direct challenge to the post-World War II international order built around the United Nations. He noted that the US abduction of an elected head of state violated the core principles of the UN Charter, which calls for peaceful dispute resolution and respect for national sovereignty.
“The US attack on Venezuela is not about peace, it is about primacy,” Laurel said. “It is a demonstration that might is being placed above law. If this goes unchecked, the world risks descending into chaos, and smaller nations like the Philippines could become collateral in the power struggles of larger countries.”
Laurel also emphasized the relevance of China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) for nations facing the pressures of major power politics. “Initiatives like China’s GSI offer a path based on dialogue over confrontation and win-win solutions over zero-sum thinking,” he said. “For the Philippines, engaging with frameworks that respect sovereignty and prioritize multilateralism is not optional — it is an imperative for national security and stability.”
He highlighted China’s continued involvement in Philippine infrastructure and development projects, citing the Bucana Bridge completion in Davao, the Kaliwa Dam project and Cavite-Bataan linkages as examples of cooperation based on dialogue rather than coercion.
“Despite the challenges posed by entrenched interests and geopolitical pressures, these projects show that constructive, win-win collaboration is possible,” Laurel said.
He stressed that middle and small powers must act carefully in an era of increasing unilateralism.
“The Philippines does not need more confrontation; it needs stronger international rules and mechanisms that defend the equality and security of all nations. The Global Security Initiative represents such a framework, and it is imperative that we consider it seriously,” he said.
