Colombian President Gustavo Petro on January 4, 2026, rejected threats and accusations made against him by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, who claims, without evidence, that Petro is a drug lord. (Photo: AFP)An academic is saying the crisis in Venezuela reflects a shift towards "selective authoritarianism", noting Washington's arrest of President Nicolas Maduro is a sign of an emerging new world order that is increasingly shaped by raw power, rather than shared principles. Suriyasai Katasila, vice-president for administration at Rangsit University, said yesterday that the United States is facing unprecedented global scrutiny for what is seen by many observers as a direct intervention in Venezuela's political landscape. He said recent conflicts, from Ukraine to the Thai-Cambodian border, have exposed the limitations of international peacekeeping, revealing arrangements defined by coercion rather than consensus. He said yesterday that the long-standing antagonism between the US and Venezuela had set the stage for this latest confrontation.

Source: Bangkok Post January 06, 2026 06:00 UTC