India mum on US’s Venezuela attack but issues advisory; experts warn of ‘bad precedent’

India has advised its nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela after the US captured the South American country’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation.

The Ministry of External Affairs also asked all Indians in Venezuela to exercise extreme caution and restrict their movements.

The US carried out the military assault on the Venezuelan capital Caracas after consistently accusing Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking. The president of the oil-rich country has stridently denied the charge.

Advisory for Indians

US troops have taken Maduro and his wife to the US. Venezuela declared a national emergency after the US action.

“In view of recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela,” the external affairs ministry said.

Also read: Trump reveals how Maduro was captured, and US plans to ‘run’ Venezuela, sell its oil

“All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas,” it said.

The ministry asked the Indians to get in touch with the embassy through phone number +58-412-9584288 (also for WhatsApp calls) and email ID cons.caracas@mea.gov.in.

There are around 50 Non-Resident Indians and 30 Persons of Indian Origin in Venezuela, according to the embassy in Caracas.

No reaction from India

The US action has triggered political uncertainty in the South American country, with many leading powers, including Russia and China, slamming Washington for the operation and capture of Maduro and his wife.

Trump said at a news conference that the US will run Venezuela until a transition of power can take place. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said.

Also read: Will Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado emerge as face of post-Maduro Venezuela?

The US president also said that the “extremely successful” operation should serve as a warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives.

India has not yet reacted to the US action.

Bad precedent, say experts

But Indian experts on strategic affairs dubbed the US strike on Venezuela, and the capture of President Maduro, an “unbelievable” event that will set a “bad precedent”, as other powers may try to undertake similar actions in future citing the American move.

They also termed it a “very dangerous” and “aggressive step” taken by the Trump administration.

Former diplomat and strategic affairs expert Rajiv Dogra was quoted by news agency PTI, “Quite frankly, this is unbelievable. I mean, it has still not sunk in, because, in a way, this is unprecedented in recent times.”

It may have happened in previous centuries, when someone would “invade countries”, capture leaders of those countries or kill them, but in recent times, “we’ve not heard of any country acting with such little regard for law, custom or reason”, Dogra said.

Also read: Explained: Why did US attack Venezuela?

“Trump has broken all the traditions, all the sanctities of sovereignty by indulging in such acts,” Dogra alleged.

The former diplomat, during an interaction with PTI Videos, argued that whether President Maduro was liked by the people of Venezuela is “a different thing” which is “for Venezuelans to decide”. But for Trump to order his forces to lift Maduro from Venezuela stands to no reason at all, Dogra said.

‘US found it very difficult to ‘dislodge’ Maduro’

India’s former ambassador to Venezuela, Deepak Bhojwani, in an interaction with PTI, said President Maduro “has been in the cross-hairs of the US administration”, and the US found it very difficult to “dislodge” him.

This is because Maduro controls the country’s military and “assumed a kind of dictatorial position”, he said.

Also read: From bus driver to president: Maduro's remarkable rise before the fall

Bhojwani, who was appointed India’s envoy to the South American country in 2003, said there have been “very, very credible accusations against him (Maduro) that he has not followed democratic practices”.

He also referred to the charges of “narco-terrorism” against Maduro levelled by the Trump administration.

‘Trump has turned the world upside down’

Talking about the US action, former diplomat Dogra said, “I don’t think the strike was sanctified either by the US Senate or the US House of Representatives or the US law. It will set a very bad precedent because some other countries, which are similarly unruly, can follow suit.”

Any country or power can easily say tomorrow that if the US can do it in Venezuela, why can’t they do it with another country, or some other place, Dogra said.

Also read: US claim of capturing Venezuela's Maduro signals dangerous return to regime-change politics

Dogra also said he felt disturbed that such an event took place in an age and time when the world was looking forward to more economic and technological progress. “But ever since Trump took charge in his second term last January, he has turned the world upside down,” he said.

‘Dangerous and aggressive step’

Brigadier Rahul K Bhonsle (retd), another strategic affairs expert, said, “The Trump administration has taken a very dangerous and aggressive step. We have to see how it plays out.”

“The tension between the US administration and the Maduro administration was brewing for some time. It was there even during (Joe) Biden’s rule. But the Trump administration has been particularly aggressive,” Bhonsle told PTI Videos in Dehradun.

Also read: Russia, Iran condemn as EU, Ukraine back US strikes on Venezuela

This is a “very dangerous” move by the Trump administration, and Maduro’s is not a regime which is an active military opponent to the US, he said.

“But, taking strong-arm military action against such a regime can lead to a very dangerous situation. Tomorrow, many other powers may also take this as an example and try to launch similar actions,” he cautioned.

(With agency inputs)