By Leonardo Micua

 

THE United States has effectively taken control of Venezuela and its oil exports following the controversial abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by U.S. Special Forces, who forcibly removed them from their residence in Caracas in the dead of night. With their hands bound, they were transported to the U.S. to face trial for charges of drug trafficking and gun smuggling in a New York court.

The international community reacted with shock, condemning the operation as a gross violation of international law, yet President Donald Trump has shown no remorse for his directive to prosecute the Maduros in the U.S.

The problem is, Trump appears intent on extending his reach beyond Maduro, threatening interventions against countries such as Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and even Greenland, which he has ominously suggested he might annex.

Critics assert that the leader of the world’s wealthiest nation and its most formidable military is engaging in reckless territorial expansion in blatant disregard of international norms.

Many think he has crossed the line, gone overboard and is no longer the statesman that Americans had voted and returned to the White House to again lead their nation for the second time around.

While Venezuela and several Central and South American nations have aligned themselves with Russia and China, Greenland remains a democratic territory under Danish governance, comparable to any Western European country. A U.S. annexation of Greenland, with its rich untapped resources, could jeopardize NATO’s unity and could lead to its disintegration.

Although Trump may refrain from similar actions against the Philippines, given the long-standing ties between the two nations, one wonders how President Xi Jinping might respond to Marcos’ assertive stance on the West Philippine Sea, and is not far-fetched, he might do to Marcos what  Trump did to  Maduro.

In response to the situation, the United Nations convened an emergency meeting at its New York headquarters to address Trump’s aggressive maneuvers against Venezuela, and his threat to other countries, though it is unclear whether a resolution condemning his actions would sway the U.S. president.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced strong disapproval of the U.S.’s treatment of the Maduros, urging Trump to return them to Venezuela and reinstate Maduro as president.

We will continue to monitor this fast-evolving situation.

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Former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Chavit Singson has called for a One Time, Big Time Rally against the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, set for the third week of February this year.

 This rally aims to commemorate the historic moment when the family of the late President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was compelled to leave Malacañang and make their way to Clark Air Base in Pampanga, from where they flew to Hickam Air Base in Hawaii.

 February 2026 also marks the month when the newly elected  Speaker of the House, Faustino Dy III, is expected to lead a renewed impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte—a move that Malacañang wishes to distance itself from.

 While Chavit’s rally coincides with the filing of this impeachment complaint, any connection appears purely coincidental rather than intentional.

 Typically, EDSA People Power anniversaries feature various rallies, but Chavit envisions something far grander than those past gatherings.

 As an Ilocano, Chavit has long been associated with the Marcos loyalist movement, having supported the family when Bongbong Marcos was in his early twenties and serving as Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte.

 However, after Bongbong assumed the presidency, a rift developed between the two, rooted in reasons known only to them.

 At this point, reconciliation between these two staunch Ilocano figures seems highly unlikely.#