The Empire Strikes Venezuela: Why Our “Treaty Ally” Just Became China’s Best Propaganda Minister

150 Jets, 80 Bodies, One Giant Gift: How Washington Rewrote Beijing’s Talking Points Overnight

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 5, 2026

The Grand Hypocrisy Audit: The New Saints of the “Rules-Based Order”

On January 3, 2026, under the dark skies of Caracas, the American Empire dispatched more than 150 aircraft from 20 airbases to bomb Venezuelan military installations. In less than 30 minutes, they killed at least 80 people—soldiers and civilians alike—and abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife like common criminals in a Hollywood blockbuster. They were flown to New York to “face justice” on charges of narco-terrorism.

And the punchline? The Orange Hegemon announced that America would now “run” Venezuela until a “safe transition.”

Classic Yankee noblesse oblige—bomb first, administer later, and take the oil as a bonus.

Now, let us examine our local cheerleaders of the “rules-based order.”

De Lima’s Calculus

Leila de Lima was correct in her statement on January 4:

“This serves as a reality check on our reliance on the United States for moral leadership… It throws the global order back to a barbaric ‘might makes right’ regime.”

This is principle, countrymen—pure legal argument from a former justice secretary who helped shepherd our arbitral victory against China and who spent years investigating death-squad justice long before it became national policy.

Fair enough: her record on human rights and the West Philippine Sea ruling is consistent and courageous. She was never silent on extrajudicial killings—she was the one sounding the alarm when others looked away. And her camp filed the very case that delivered the 2016 arbitral triumph.

Credit where it’s due—the legal thrust of her warning is unassailable.
But the timing? A freshly freed opposition figure seizing a superpower scandal to reposition herself and the Liberals as the true guardians of principle? That part still smells like classic Manila opportunism—using Washington’s folly to score points at home while the rest of us grapple with the real fallout.

The Chorus of the Philippine Left

Federation of Free Workers: “Bullying is prohibited, no matter who does it.” Bravo, workers! Finally, a consistent standard. But where was your voice during the EDCA bases and joint exercises?
Akbayan: They admit Maduro is corrupt, but “no excuse for US intervention.” Fair enough—but why is the volume always louder against the US than against China or Russia?
PhilCuba and Kilusan: Pure anti-imperialist fury, solidarity with Cuba and Nicaragua. Solid—but where is the same rage for the Uyghurs or Gaza?

And the US justification? A mere “law enforcement action” against narco-terrorism.

Sounds familiar:

Panama 1989 (Noriega abducted)
Grenada 1983 (“rescue” of students)
Iraq 2003 (WMDs that never existed)
Libya 2011 (NATO bombing to “protect civilians,” ending with Gaddafi’s overthrow and endless chaos)
Dominican Republic 1965 (troops to stop a “second Cuba,” installing a puppet regime)

Always the “saving lives” narrative, but 80 bodies in one night tell a different story.

This is imperial gangsterism in a cheap, sequined suit of “democracy promotion.”

***“International Law for Thee, Regime Change for Me: A Love Story”***

The Philippine Dilemma:

A Puppet’s Crisis in Front of the Mirror

De Lima is right: This is a reality check.

How can we invoke the UN Charter against China while our patron is setting it ablaze in Caracas?

Our weapon in the West Philippine Sea is law, not arms. Yet now our ally wields arms against the law. Our moral ascendancy is compromised.

The PH-US alliance is not just a treaty—it is a Faustian bargain with a devil who changes costumes every election cycle. What is the value of an ally who hands ammunition to your adversary?

The government’s likely response?

“We are monitoring the situation with deep concern.”

Classic diplomatic waffle—meaningless, spineless.

Path	Description	Likely Outcome
Craven	Stay silent, ramp up joint exercises, pretend nothing happened	Even more tightly bound to a capricious hegemon; loss of credibility in ASEAN
Middle Ground	ASEAN-led statement calling for restraint	Looks good on paper, but toothless
Principled	Diversify partners (Japan, EU, India), build self-reliance, stop being an automatic cheerleader	Greater independence, but short-term security risks

The Bigger Picture:

A World on Fire, Lit by Matches of Impunity

The message sent by the US:
Might makes right, and I am the mightiest.

This legitimizes:

Russia in Ukraine
China in the WPS
Israel in Gaza

Every aggressor now has a new excuse: “If America can do it, why can’t we?”

For us Filipinos: This goes beyond the West Philippine Sea. If great powers can abduct the leaders of smaller states, what remains of our sovereignty? This is an existential threat to every small nation on earth.

Coda: Time for True Nationalism

The US attack on Venezuela is:

Illegal under the UN Charter (no self-defense, no Security Council approval)
Immoral (blood and instability in the name of selective “democracy”)
Strategically idiotic (handing propaganda victories to its rivals)

I call for:
Diplomatic solutions only.
Absolute primacy of the UN Charter and the rule of law. No exceptions for superpowers.

And for the Philippines:
It is time for principled nationalism—not jingoism, not anti-American hysteria.

But a cold, hard, independent foreign policy rooted in our interests, our sovereignty, and consistent principle.

Even if it means telling our “ally” that their moral compass spins like a weathervane in a typhoon—whichever way the winds blow from the White House.

Until the next “rules-based” bombing run, stay sharp and never kneel,

–Barok