"Maduro's indictment is an embarrassment to American justice" [View all]

This is the headline from an article from the Lebanese news site "Ya Libnan" dated 01/04/26 by their editorial board. The article is subtitled:

"Charging a foreign head of state under a 1934 U.S. gun law turns the rule of law into international ridicule"

and this gives an idea of how absurd our current DOJ has become. The 1934 law prohibits owning, possessing or trying to possess machine guns.

As the article notes:

"The United States is prosecuting the sitting president of a sovereign nation under a 1934 domestic firearm statute—as if he were a local criminal operating within U.S. jurisdiction."

The article rightly points out the absurdity and notes how DOJ and the courts are supposed to uphold constitutional restraint and not political theater presented as law enforcement. Now I guess I could add something here about the obvious political theater we've already seen of going after Comey, James etc. but then I might be "editorializing" however maybe it's OK since I'm not doing it about a sacred cow.

The article notes the way this sort of ridiculous thing erodes and undermines our credibility and obviously another DOJ hack of a lawyer can be seen at work in such a farcical filing. The article concludes with a clear and concise statement that is of a style beyond the capabilities of most of our US media today:

"If the United States wants to promote democracy, accountability, and respect for international norms, it must start by respecting its own Constitution and the basic principles of sovereignty. Weaponizing outdated domestic laws against foreign leaders does not project strength—it projects institutional shame."

True enough but shame, whether institutional or personal, is something that does not exist in US politics and governance.


https://yalibnan.com/2026/01/04/maduros-indictment-is-an-embarrassment-to-american-justice/