Former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that oil was the key factor behind President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela.
Prof Akinyemi made the remarks on Monday during an interview on the programme ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television.
He was speaking in reaction to the invasion of Venezuela and the arrest of its President, Nicolas Maduro, by United States forces.
He said, “What made Trump do what he did is the oil. This is not a good beginning for a new year, even though we mouthed Happy New Year. This is a frightening New Year for the world. It’s a victory of brute force over law. It’s a victory for brigandage over morality. International law has been brushed aside, and the United Nations itself seems to be on trial.
“I’m aware that there’s a meeting of the United Nations that is going on right now, but one can predict what the outcome of that to be. This should never have been allowed. But we talk about sovereignty. This is a lesson to all of us, including Nigerians, that there is a distinction between legal sovereignty and power sovereignty.
“It is brute force that underwrites sovereignty. You can claim your sovereignty from here to eternity, but if you don’t have the economic force, the military force to protect that sovereignty, you are just wasting your time, and this is what we’ve just seen.
“In the case of Venezuela, you’ve made reference to Panama when, again, the United States went into Panama, picked up the president there, put him on trial in the United States, and he was jailed, and nothing happened.
“I believe that when things like this happen, and you allow the oppressor to get away with it, it happens again. But my fear right now is, if the United States gets away with this, then what message are you sending to Russia, vis-à-vis Ukraine? What message are you sending to China vis-à-vis Taiwan? What message are you sending to the several countries in the northern part of Africa that have problems with their neighbours? What message are you sending to Israel vis-a-vis Palestinians?” he asked.
