On Jan. 3, the United States government captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and brought them to the United States. After Maduro’s arrest, it evoked a wide variety of emotions. He had ruled Venezuela under an iron fist, ruling as a dictator, meaning that those living in the country, or those a part of the Venezuelan diaspora in the United States, felt optimistic about the future of the nation and thankful that Maduro was no longer a threat.
However, soon after, the means by which Trump and the American government had used to justify as well as ultimately capture Maduro were quickly seen to be foggy and arguably unconstitutional.
Maduro’s arrest comes after alleged narco-terrorism claims in the state of New York. The US government instigated an undercover operation to detain Maduro and try him in the American court system. His capture clearly violated both the US Constitution and international law. However, the question proposed by Trump comes up about whether or not constitutional law needs to be prioritized and followed.
A disregard for the Constitution is nothing new for Trump, a figure who has consistently ignored the checks and balances of the government to gain as much power as possible.
Congress is also doing nothing to restrict Trump’s power, either. Republicans in Congress, who have often preached their devotion to the Constitution, are more than happy to turn a blind eye to Trump’s tactics. As reported by NBC News, a bipartisan Senate Bill to limit Trump’s actions in Venezuela was initially led by several Republicans; however, following pressure from Trump, these Republicans backed down, resulting in a 51-50 vote in Trump’s favor. Another vote in December attempting to limit Trump’s anticipated action in Venezuela in the House of Representatives also failed, with all of those a part of the Constitution-led conservative House Freedom Caucus choosing not to check Trump’s notions.
Trump is a dangerous figure, able to control whole governments and politicians to garner more power. This can be seen not just in Venezuela but also in Greenland today. Trump can sway Republicans to go against the law, with threats of them being ostracized from the government.
If Trump can control the government by threatening and manipulating Republican Congress members, then what can he be considered, if not a dictator? His administration clearly has no respect for the law. This is just one example, one which may not affect most Americans; however, it clearly demonstrates where Trump’s priorities lie. They lie away from the Constitution or the system of due process, but rather at appeasing the American public with shallow promises and flashy images.
Trump has a hunger for power, and he will do anything to gain more of it, even if that means bypassing the Constitution and international law.
Dictatorships aren’t easy to notice at first; they begin with small disregard for government procedures, which only grow into complete authoritarianism over an entire nation. It’s clear this is Trump’s plan: to consolidate as much sway over the United States and the world by any means necessary.
