Democrat leaders of the United States have condemned their country’s large-scale military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, calling for restraint and a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
In a post on X, former US vice president Kamala Harris criticized the government’s actions in capturing Maduro.
“Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable. That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise,” she said.
Harris also emphasized that Trump’s actions put troops at risk, cost billions, and destabilize the region, emphasizing that U.S. leadership should prioritize the American people, the rule of law, and alliances.
“America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and — most importantly — putting the American people first,” she added.
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said the attack on Venezuela has shown Trump’s “contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law.”
“The President of the United States does NOT have the right to unilaterally take his country to war, even against a corrupt and brutal dictator like Maduro. The United States does NOT gave the right, as Trump stated this morning, to ‘run’ Venezuela,” he wrote in his statement.
“Congress must immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to end this illegal military operation and reassert its constitutional responsibilities,” Sanders added.
Meanwhile, in a Reuters report, Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the Trump administration assured him it was not pursuing regime change or planning military action in Venezuela.
“They assured me that they were not pursuing those things. Clearly, they are not being honest with the American people,” he said.
Virginia’s Democrat Rep. Don Beyer also opposed the American attacks on Venezuela, noting that such actions without a clear plan would not enhance safety.
“You don’t need sympathy for Maduro to understand that attacking another country for unclear, shifting reasons—without domestic support or a clear post-conflict plan—won’t make us safer,” he said on X.
“The administration lied to Congress and launched an illegal war for regime change and oil. This is foolish and wrong,” Beyer added.
To recall, on Saturday, January 3, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. had successfully carried out a strike that led to the removal of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from power in Venezuela.
Trump stated that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” could be established.
