The spectacle was as cinematic as it was chilling. The recent operational culmination of the United States’ long-standing judicial pursuit of the Venezuelan leadership—resulting in the unprecedented detention of a sitting head of state—has sent shockwaves through the corridors of power far beyond the Western Hemisphere. While Washington frames this dramatic escalation as a triumph of “rule of law” over autocracy, the Global South sees something far more ominous: the weaponization of domestic US statutes into a global dragnet from which no nation is truly safe.

For decades, the Monroe Doctrine was interpreted as a geopolitical “keep out” sign, a shield against European colonialism in the Americas. However, in the 21st century, under the guise of defending democracy, this doctrine has mutated into a sword of extraterritorial jurisdiction. The message radiating from the Potomac is clear: the United States is no longer merely the policeman of the world; it is the judge, jury, and executioner, operating with a self-granted warrant that respects no border.

As the dust settles in Caracas, the tremors are being felt in New Delhi. For India, a rising power currently enjoying a “golden age” of diplomatic courtship with the United States, this event should serve not as a distant news story, but as a flashing red warning light.

The arrest in Venezuela represents the ultimate evolution of American exceptionalism. It establishes a terrifying precedent: that the sovereign immunity traditionally afforded to heads of state is null and void if it conflicts with the geopolitical interests or domestic legal frameworks of the United States.

Washington has effectively declared that its........

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