By Okoi Obono-Obla
The End of International Law? A Return to Hobbesian Anarchy
The United Nations was founded in 1945 in the aftermath of the catastrophic Second World War, which had plunged the world into unprecedented despair and tragedy, leading to massive destruction of human lives and property. One of its organs entrusted with the maintenance of global peace and security is the United Nations Security Council, composed of permanent members such as Russia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, and China.
On 3 January 2026, international peace and security were threatened when the United States of America invaded Venezuela. Using crack special operations forces, it captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and took them to New York, where they were arraigned in court on allegations of narco‑trafficking, possession of firearms, and other offences. The world reeled in shock and despair as international law was trampled upon by the United States of America, a permanent member of the Security Council.
This brazen attack on Venezuela was contrary to Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. The reality is that America is in breach of the Charter. It has committed the crime of aggression, which the Nuremberg Tribunal described as the “supreme crime”—the worst crime of all. The International Military Tribunal was established at Nuremberg, Germany, at the end of the Second World War to try leaders of the Third Reich who were held responsible for the unspeakable atrocities committed against Jewish and other minority peoples by Hitler’s regime.
Because nobody called the USA to order, and the response from the United Nations Security Council—the custodian and guardian of multilateralism and international peace and security—was muted, Israel and the United States were emboldened to the extent that on 28 February 2026 they launched an assault on Iran.
It is unlikely that the United States of America will be punished by the Security Council, since it possesses veto power to block any measure that might be taken against it for such a flagrant violation of international law. The grounds advanced by the United States—that President Nicolás Maduro was leading a narco‑trafficking organization—are legally untenable and cannot sustain any defence for its actions.
The world lies prostrate and helpless. Russia did the same in 2021 when it invaded Ukraine, escaping meaningful international scrutiny, and the war still rages between Ukraine and Russia.
Are we witnessing the end of international law and the return to a Hobbesian era, where the mightiest are free to trample upon weak and vulnerable nations, annexing and colonizing them without qualms? If powerful states continue to act with impunity, international law risks becoming irrelevant, leaving humanity at the mercy of raw power rather than justice.
International Gangsterism and the Erosion of Sovereignty
What gives a foreign power the right to breach the territorial integrity and sovereignty of another country, invade its presidential residence—which is a symbol of national dignity—use military force to storm it, capture the president and his family, put them on a plane, fly them to its own country, arraign them in its court, and charge them with violations of its domestic laws?
This is exactly what happened when the United States of America’s Counter Terrorism Delta Force stormed the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, breached its presidential palace, and forcefully removed President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. They were bundled into an aircraft, flown to New York, and arraigned before a United States District Court on allegations of narco‑trafficking, possession of firearms, and other offences.
This is a sad commentary and an egregious breach of international law, particularly the principle of sovereignty which underpins the entire framework of international legalism. There is no principle of international law that grants the United States such powers to commit this crass illegality under any guise. What we have witnessed is the irretrievable breakdown of international law, replaced by international gangsterism, exposing weaker nations to the unchecked wrath of powerful states.
The events described underscore the fragility of the international legal order and highlight the urgent need for a renewed commitment to sovereignty, equality, and justice among nations. Without such commitment, the world risks sliding further into a system where might makes right, and the rule of law is supplanted by the rule of force. Weak and vulnerable nations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas are now left exposed to the harsh reality that power, not law, dictates survival.
Conclusion
The erosion of international law and the unchecked impunity of powerful states signal a dangerous drift toward Hobbesian anarchy. Unless the global community recommits to the principles of sovereignty, equality, and justice, humanity risks returning to a world where raw power reigns supreme, and the promise of international law becomes a hollow illusion.
Leave a comment