University of Kentucky, Rosenberg College of Law professor emeritus Alvin Goldman discusses the legality and implications of U.S. actions toward Venezuelan oil assets, especially in light of President Trump’s claims that justify military intervention based on Venezuela’s past nationalization of U.S.-linked oil properties. Professor Goldman argues that Venezuela’s expropriation was legal under international law and did not constitute theft, whereas the U.S.’s threatened military control over Venezuelan oil could itself be considered illegal and potentially an act of theft.
Cornell law professor Michael C. Dorf comments on the recognition by the United States and some other constitutional democracies of Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader pending new elections. Dorf points out that many countries suffer under incompetent, corrupt, and authoritarian leaders just as Venezuela did under Nicolás Maduro, yet constitutional democracies typically do not rally behind the ouster of those leaders. What makes Maduro’s case different?
