Buenos Aires, Jan 4 -- Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner broke her silence following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, describing the United States' actions as a "literal kidnapping" that violates international law.
Kirchner linked the military operation to the historic "Big Stick" policy, noting that such direct interventions have caused "economic and social stagnation" in the region in the past.
In her defense, the Peronist leader dismissed the official justifications from Washington regarding the fight against drug trafficking or the restoration of democracy, stating that the real objective is "to seize the world's largest reserves of conventional oil... openly".
She warned that the event, which "produced the death of numerous people," sets a dangerous precedent that would allow any power to violate the territorial sovereignty of weaker countries to appropriate their resources.
Kirchner stated that the Donald Trump administration "has crossed a limit that many of us thought would never be crossed again".
The "Big Stick" policy refers to early 20th-century U.S. diplomacy, promoted by President Theodore Roosevelt.
