The Questionable Basis for Designating Venezuela‘s “Cartel de los Soles” as a Terrorist Association
A recent move by the U.S. government to designate entities connected to Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro as Foreign terrorist Organizations (FTOs) has sparked debate, notably regarding the nature of the primary target: the “Cartel de los Soles.” This designation carries notable consequences, making it illegal for american citizens to provide material support to the designated groups and barring representatives and members from entering the United States. It also raises the possibility of military action against maduro’s assets and infrastructure,as previously suggested.
The FTO designation is typically reserved for groups engaged in terrorism, defined as violence carried out for political reasons.Though, experts are questioning weather the “Cartel de los Soles” fits this definition. The U.S. has increasingly framed anti-drug efforts as a counterterrorism issue, a shift some, like Matt Finucane, view as a pretext for regime change. “The worrying aspect of this measure is that it could be a prelude to military action against the Venezuelan government itself,” Finucane stated, adding it’s another step in secretary of State Marco Rubio’s “efforts to disguise a regime change operation as an anti-drug action.”
The governance is accused of “inventing a fact pattern” and “creating an alternative reality” to justify its policy toward Venezuela as an anti-terrorism campaign. While the designation itself doesn’t legally authorize military attacks – it primarily enables financial and diplomatic penalties like asset freezes - the administration has used such designations as a precursor to military action in the past.For example, the United States military recently attacked 22 small boats allegedly operated by criminal groups recently designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
this practice of designating groups motivated by profit, rather than ideology, as terrorist organizations is already under scrutiny. The designation of the “Cartel de los Soles” pushes this logic even further, as it may not even be a formally structured organization. Finucane points out this lack of structure creates a perilous precedent: ”They are basically operating outside the law, which is why there is no limiting principle.”
The move highlights a broadening interpretation of what constitutes a terrorist threat,raising concerns about the potential for overreach and the justification for increasingly aggressive foreign policy actions.
