Published: 01:50 PM, 04 January 2026
Might Is Right Is The New Creed, Says Shashi Tharoor
Mahfuz Ul Hasib Chowdhury
Congress Member of Parliament (MP) and acclaimed author Shashi Tharoor on Sunday took a wily dig at American President Donald Trump after the US launched strikes on Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Saturday. In an X post, Tharoor took a dig at Trump, stating that international law has been honoured in the breach and that "'might is the right' is the new creed".
"International law and the UN Charter have for some years now been honoured in the breach. The Law of the Jungle prevails today. “Might is Right” is the new creed," he said on his social media post.
Tharoor was replying to a post from Kapil Komireddi, who wrote, "All those condoning the gangsterism in Venezuela today will shriek 'international law' and 'UN Charter' when China abducts Taiwan’s president."
The United States carried out a "large-scale strike" early Saturday on Venezuela, capturing President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and whisking them out of the country after months of intense pressure on the Maduro government.
The overnight operation threw Venezuela into turmoil, leaving its leadership in doubt as information about casualties and the extent of damage to its military had yet to become clear.
Washington has long dismissed the Venezuelan government as illegitimate, and has reasoned its attacks on the country due to migration, drugs, and "narco-terrorism."
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Venezuela has appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as the interim president of the nation, an official statement confirmed. Here is all you need to know about her.
The United Nations (UN) has criticised the US strikes and said they "constitute a dangerous precedent". In a statement, the UN said the military actions of the US will have "potential worrying implications for the region", calling for both sides to engage in "inclusive dialogue" to resolve the issues.
The US strikes violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which states that "all UN member states shall refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state." This means that Venezuela is a sovereign UN member state, and any US strike is illegal.
Claire Finkelstein, a Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, has rejected the Trump administration’s arguments in defence of the attacks and removal of Maduro, as well as its plans to exert control over Venezuela.
“I don’t think there’s any basis under international law for the action that occurred overnight by the US government,” Finkelstein told Al Jazeera, describing the attacks as an “illegal use of force [and] a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty”.
“Maduro has personal jurisdiction rights, so not only is it a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty, but it’s a violation of his personal, international rights,” she said.
Numerous statutes of international law – including the UN Charter – prohibit states from attacking another country without provocation.
“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations,” the UN Charter says.
The US actions came amid a months-long pressure campaign against Maduro, whom the Trump administration accused, without evidence, of being linked to drug traffickers.
Washington had carried out deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, seized vessels carrying oil off the Venezuelan coast, sanctioned members of Maduro’s family, and threatened to launch attacks on the country’s soil.
“Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator, he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation,” US Congressman Tom Cotton, a top Trump ally, wrote on social media on Saturday, welcoming the moves against the Venezuelan leader.
Before he was seized, Maduro had said he was open to dialogue with the US on drug trafficking. He also had accused the Trump administration of seeking to depose him and seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Democratic Party lawmakers in the US had been demanding answers from the Trump administration about its aims in Venezuela, accusing the Republican president of seeking to unlawfully carry out acts of war without congressional oversight.
On Saturday, Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said that, despite the Trump administration’s claims, “there was no imminent threat to the United States” from Venezuela, “certainly not one that justified military action without congressional authorization”.
Shashi Tharoor is applauded across the world for some of his fictional and non-fictional books written in superb English language which have conquered the hearts of millions of readers. Riot, Bookless in Baghdad, Why I Am A Hindu, An Era of Darkness, The Paradoxical Prime Minister are some of the most celebrated literary creations by Shashi Tharoor.
Shashi Tharoor was once upon a time UN Under Secretary General and he also held the echelon of a higher official in the Indian External Affairs Ministry for several years.
Mahfuz Ul Hasib Chowdhury is a contributor to different English newspapers and magazines.
