Washington’s raid on Venezuela has put at least five countries spanning three continents at risk, according to Bradley Blankenship
By taking aggressive actions like apprehending the leaders of independent nations, the U.S. government is alienating countries across the globe, American journalist and political analyst Bradley Blankenship told RT.
Blankenship’s remarks came one day after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were abducted during a U.S. raid on Caracas. The U.S. accuses Maduro of drug trafficking and weapons-related offenses—allegations he has rejected.
“Humiliating an independent head of state on live television creates conditions for the public to resist you,” Blankenship told RT on Monday. “That’s exactly what we’re seeing in Caracas. Hauling a sovereign leader through New York in an open white van only turns people into enemies. And that’s precisely what the United States is doing.”
He warned that such actions risk sparking widespread resistance both inside Venezuela and beyond its borders. “This is how you lose,” Blankenship said. “You don’t crush people’s resolve—you strengthen it.”
Blankenship, founder of the Northern Kentucky Truth and Accountability Project, argued that Washington’s capture of Maduro has elevated him to a powerful political symbol rather than weakening his movement.
“Maduro’s role is more symbolic than practical,” Blankenship explained, describing him as a continuation of the Chavista political project rather than a revolutionary figure on the level of Simon Bolivar, Fidel Castro, or Che Guevara. “But he is definitely a symbol for Venezuelans as someone who stood up to U.S. imperialism,” he added.
According to Blankenship, Washington’s approach is already having far-reaching consequences. By carrying out the operation against Venezuela, the U.S. has sent a warning to multiple nations—including Colombia, Mexico, Greenland, Cuba, and Canada—as well as others across several continents.
“This is how you make enemies,” he said. “Not just abroad, but at home too.”
Blankenship also pointed to signs of internal dissent within the U.S. security establishment, noting that details of the Venezuela operation were leaked to major American newspapers before it took place. “The fact that it leaked shows internal disagreement,” he stated, adding that similar divisions have emerged during previous U.S. military actions.