Trump Takes the ‘War on Terror’ to Venezuela

For the past two months, United States forces have been gathering around the coasts of Venezuela, carrying out a series of lethal strikes against civilian vessels. These attacks have been ordered by President Donald Trump’s White House under the guise of combating “drug-related terrorism.” Effectively, any individual suspected of involvement in drug trafficking across Latin American waters has become a target. Reports indicate that over 80 people have already lost their lives in these operations. Meanwhile, hawkish elements within the administration are calling for an expansion of military action aimed at removing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power.

The current escalation echoes the observations of geographer Stuart Elden in his award-winning book Terror and Territory. Elden argues that understanding the so-called “war on terror” requires more than examining non-state actors alone. He highlights that states themselves often engage in actions designed to instil fear, and that state-led violence has historically claimed far more lives than that inflicted by non-state terrorist organisations.

Research supports Elden’s claims. For instance, Brown University’s Costs of War project estimates that from 2001 to 2023, over 400,000 civilians died directly in U.S.-led counterterrorism campaigns, with indirect deaths, including those resulting from destroyed infrastructure and medical shortages, bringing the total to approximately 3.5 million. Economic sanctions imposed alongside these campaigns have proven equally deadly; recent studies suggest they caused around half a million additional deaths annually between 2010 and 2021.

Despite this historical record, Trump’s administration is seeking to revive the war on terror under a new guise. By weakening judicial oversight and asserting near-unlimited presidential authority, it is attempting to operate with minimal accountability. The White House has argued that defining who constitutes a “terrorist” or whether a rebellion exists lies entirely within the president’s discretion, effectively permitting lethal military action without independent scrutiny.

Even Trump’s own public justifications strain credibility. He has claimed that destroying vessels carrying drugs from Venezuela saves 25,000 American lives per incident, despite no evidence that these shipments significantly contribute to U.S. drug-related deaths. By ignoring such facts, the administration underscores a fundamental principle: for Trump, lethal force can be exercised freely, irrespective of evidence or consequence.

Ultimately, these actions mark a troubling new chapter in the global “war on terror,” one in which Venezuelan civilians find themselves in the crosshairs, and traditional safeguards against unaccountable state violence are eroded. Venezuela is not a chessboard for geopolitical manoeuvring; it is home to real people whose lives are at risk.