By Newspot Nigeria Geopolitics Desk
London / Washington / Caracas — The former head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service, Sir Alex Younger, has warned that the world is entering a new geopolitical era in which power increasingly overrides rules, institutions, and long-standing democratic norms.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, Younger said global politics is now being shaped by “strong men presiding over spheres of influence,” tolerating one another’s actions while dominating their own regions. According to him, this “might is right” approach has replaced the post-Cold War, rules-based international order.
Younger argued that Donald Trump exemplifies this shift, pointing specifically to recent U.S. military action and political intervention in Venezuela. He warned that America’s allies are being placed in increasingly difficult positions as traditional principles of international law are sidelined in favor of decisive, unilateral power.
The former intelligence chief, who is the longest-serving head of MI6 in the past 50 years, also cautioned that the United Kingdom risks appearing hypocritical on the global stage. He noted that while Britain has strongly condemned Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a breach of international law, its reluctance to openly criticize U.S. actions undermines credibility, particularly in the eyes of the Global South.
CIA Assessment Shapes Post-Maduro Venezuela
The warning comes as fresh details emerge about Washington’s handling of Venezuela following the arrest and removal of Nicolás Maduro.
According to international reporting, President Trump’s decision to back Delcy Rodríguez as the figure to lead Venezuela’s transitional government was heavily influenced by a classified assessment from the Central Intelligence Agency. The report reportedly concluded that Rodríguez, a longtime insider with technical and bureaucratic experience in Venezuela’s oil sector, was better positioned to guarantee short-term stability.
This assessment outweighed support for Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition figure María Corina Machado, who had publicly supported U.S. military operations but was judged to lack sufficient domestic power bases to govern effectively in the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s fall.
A small circle of senior U.S. officials reportedly shared the CIA’s view, emphasizing control and predictability over symbolic democratic change, a calculation later detailed by the Wall Street Journal.
Democracy Losing Ground Worldwide
These events unfold against a backdrop of growing public anxiety about democracy itself. A recent multinational survey across 27 major democracies found that nearly 70 percent of respondents believe democracy is weakening globally. A similar proportion said strong leaders now exert more influence than international institutions.
The survey also revealed deep disillusionment with political systems, with roughly three-quarters of respondents saying governance increasingly serves wealthy and powerful elites rather than ordinary citizens. More than 70 percent said they expect life to be harder for the next generation.
Together, the warnings from intelligence veterans and the realities unfolding in Venezuela underscore a broader global shift, one in which power politics is resurgent, democratic ideals are increasingly conditional, and international norms are applied selectively.
This report is published by Newspot Nigeria, providing context-driven coverage of global power shifts and their implications for governance, democracy, and international order.
Source: DailyMail
