Heine Warns of a Dangerous Break with the Rules-Based Order on CBC
On January 6, 2026, Ambassador Jorge Heine, former Chilean diplomat and professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies spoke to Matt Galloway of CBC/Radio-Canada for the show The Current. In this discussion, Heine offered a stark assessment of the international order in the wake of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela. He argued that the liberal, rules-based order built after World War II is not merely weakening but actively being dismantled. Ironically, by the very countries that once championed it, as he said, “we are all worse off for it.” He pointed in particular to U.S. actions under President Donald Trump and the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the European Union as pivotal moments accelerating this breakdown.
Focusing on Latin America, Heine emphasized that the U.S. attack on Caracas marked a historic rupture. While U.S. interventions in the region are not new, he stressed that this was the first U.S. military attack on the South American mainland in 200 years, stating that “A threshold has been crossed. We are now in uncharted waters.” The mixed reactions from regional governments—strong condemnations from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile alongside support from others—reflect deep fragmentation, but also widespread unease. Crucially, Heine warned that democratic credentials offer no protection: even democratic governments such as those in Colombia and Mexico have been openly threatened.
Turning to Venezuela’s future, Heine cautioned against narratives suggesting a smooth transition to democracy. The removal of Nicolás Maduro, he argued, amounted to a leadership change rather than genuine regime change, with Chavismo still firmly entrenched. He questioned the feasibility of Washington effectively “running” Venezuela from afar and warned that such experiments undermine sovereignty and international law. Looking beyond Venezuela, Heine called for a renewed commitment to international norms and reiterated his long-standing advocacy of active non-alignment—a strategy that enables Global South countries to resist great-power pressure and prioritize their own interests.
For Heine, recent events only reinforce the urgency of active non-alignment as a practical path forward—one that rejects domination in favor of autonomy in an increasingly unstable global order.
The full discussion can be listened to here.
A former research professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Jorge Heine is a diplomat, international relations scholar, and lawyer. He is currently a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute. He has served as an ambassador of Chile to China, India, and South Africa. Heine has written over fifteen books, including The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition (2025), which provides insights on how the Global South can navigate the changing diplomatic landscape amid the U.S.-China rivalry.