What if China abducts Taiwan president? 'Might is right' is the new creed, says Shashi Tharoor

Indian politician and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor weighed in on the United States’ controversial military action against Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Tharoor, who serves as chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, didn’t mince words in his reaction to what he called a stark example of global power politics.

Tharoor took to X to voice his concerns about what he sees as a broader erosion of international norms.

“International law and the UN Charter have for some years now been honoured in the breach. The Law of the Jungle prevails today. ‘Might is Right’ is the new creed,” he wrote, responding to a post by author Kapil Komireddi that highlighted perceived double standards in global responses to powerful nations’ actions.

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International law and the UN Charter have for some years now been honoured in the breach, @kapskom. The Law of the Jungle prevails today. “Might is Right” is the new creed. https://t.co/0g7nll3J7e

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 4, 2026

The US operation came after months of escalating pressure on Venezuela, culminating in a strike that toppled Maduro and saw him taken to New York to face drug and weapons charges.

A broader global debate

Tharoor was responding to an argument suggesting that people might not be as vocal in criticising Venezuela if a powerful country like China were to take similar action against another nation’s leadership.

“All those condoning the gangsterism in Venezuela today will shriek ‘international law’ and ‘UN Charter’ when China abducts Taiwan’s president,” Komireddi wrote in his post.

Tharoor’s comments reflect a broader concern from several global leaders and analysts over the legality and implications of the US move. Critics argue that bypassing established international frameworks could weaken global institutions like the United Nations and erode the rules‑based order that many countries have long upheld.

Also read | US attack on Venezuela and capture of Maduro: America’s way is the highway

Where is Maduro and his wife now?

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are currently in United States custody and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York.

The couple was transported by air to New York to face federal indictments for narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons charges. They are expected to remain at the Brooklyn facility—the same jail that has housed other high-profile detainees—until their scheduled arraignment in a Manhattan federal court later this week.