How should India see the kidnapping/abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro by the US? Yash Sinha, India’s former ambassador to Caracas, says the US appears to be going back to the times when it did pretty much what it wanted in its South American backyard.
“They have a history. Remember, Noriega, was abducted or kidnapped from Panama. They used the word rendition. Then you had invasion of Grenada. You had a coup against Allende in Chile and the installation of Gen Pinochet,” he recalled during an interview on The Gist.
He warned that if this goes unchallenged, any superpower with military might, will believe it can do anything. Where is the world order? The UN seems to be completely moribund with the Security Council unable to take a decision on anything.
“I wish we had that capability to take care of some of our, troublesome neighbors, and others who are Jihadi terrorists who have created problems for India in the past,” he said.
India has been circumspect about its comments on Venezuela, being careful not to antagonise the US because there’s too much at stake. Then again, we have been muted about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine too since Russia is a time tested friend.
There is still some uncertainty in Venezuela. There is calm on the surface. There is relief among people who oppose Maduro, but we still don’t know what’s really going to happen,” Sinha said.
“Surprisingly, President Trump seems to have ruled out the most popular leader Maria Corina Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. Even the candidate who supposedly won the election of May 2025, Edmundo Gonzalez, last I heard he was in exile in in Spain.”
Sinha recalled meeting Maduro when he was ambassador to Caracas. “He was then foreign minister and he did not boast of any intellectual credentials. He began life as a bus driver, but otherwise a very charming person to talk to.”
The army was the real support base for Maduro, Sinha underscored, and if the army is with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, then the situation could pan out different from what the Americans are hoping. But if the army is divided, and compromises, which is quite possible, then there may be a situation where as per the Constitution, elections are held in 30 days.
Sinha was dismissive of the US claim that Maduro was trafficking drugs into the US. In his view, Colombia and Mexico are to be blamed, even China for exporting fentanyl to the US. Trump has accused Colombia and Mexico also of drugs trafficking, whether he would carry out a regime change operation there is not clear.
Thirty eight years in journalism, widely travelled, history buff with a preference for Old Monk Rum. Current interest/focus spans China, Technology and Trade. Recent reads: Steven Colls Directorate S and Alexander Frater's Chasing the Monsoon. Netflix/Prime video junkie. Loves animal videos on Facebook. Reluctant tweeter.
