On January 10, 2025, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) posted a $25 million reward (up from a paltry $15 million) for information leading to the arrest of “former” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and associates, just as he was taking the oath of office in Caracas for his third term as President. Maduro had been indicted by the DoJ in March 2020 on a variety of drug charges, raising uncomfortable parallels to the fate of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. The Maduro case underscores a broader issue: the selective application of international law by the United States, which undermines its credibility as a global leader.
Just one day earlier, with wide bipartisan support, the US House of Representatives passed the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” criticizing the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and associates. That act would impose strong sanctions against any individual or group helping the ICC to apprehend any resident of the US or any allied nation that is not party to the Rome Statute or a member of the ICC.
This blatant hypocrisy is entirely consistent with US policy that treats us and our allies as if we wear “white hats” while our rivals wear “black hats.” The good guys don’t have to follow the rules because of their inherent virtue and noble objectives. Of course, everybody believes themselves to be the “good guy,” and looking out for their country’s interests. Laws should be consistently enforced, and prosecutions should be based solely on violations of the law, whatever color hat they wear.
Hellbound and Down 