On Jan. 3, U.S. military forces bombed the capital city of Venezuela and abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. This illegal and unprovoked act of war against a sovereign nation marks a dangerous escalation in U.S. policy. It also undermines the international systems developed since World War II to prevent war and protect human rights.
Today, the U.S. continues to enforce a military blockade on Venezuela and threaten more attacks. As long as these actions continue, the U.S. should be viewed as in active conflict with Venezuela.
President Trump announced that the U.S. will “run the country” until some undefined transition. It has also raised the prospect of military action against other countries.
But history shows us where U.S. military intervention leads. As a Quaker organization committed to peace and justice, AFSC opposes war and violence in all its forms. War and militarism will never lead to peace.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. The U.S. attack on Venezuela violates both U.S. and international law.
This attack is an illegal act of war under both U.S. and international law. The U.S. Constitution is clear: only Congress can authorize war. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 also requires that the president receive congressional approval before involving the U.S. in any international armed conflict. The president does not have the legal authority to act unilaterally, and there was no congressional approval for this attack.
If presidents can launch wars on their own authority, no future restraint exists—opening the door to endless wars without oversight and accountability.
The attacks also violate Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter, which states that “all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”
2. Venezuela posed no threat to the United States—and this isn’t about stopping drugs.
Venezuela did not threaten the U.S. in any way that would justify military action. Instead, this attack follows months of illegal U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that killed over 100 people—acts of murder where people were denied due process. The Trump administration justified these attacks with false claims about fentanyl smuggling from Venezuela. In reality, fentanyl is not trafficked from Venezuela.
In December 2025, the Trump administration also imposed an illegal military blockade and seized oil tankers—deliberately escalating tensions.
Military force will not stop drug trafficking, addiction, or overdose deaths. Addiction is a public health crisis that requires access to health care, treatment, and prevention—not bombs. Drug trafficking thrives in unstable countries and because of U.S. demand. A U.S. war would likely make Venezuela more of a drug hub, not less.
There are decades of proof that the bipartisan U.S. “war on drugs” has failed. It has fueled mass incarceration—especially of poor people and people of color in the U.S.—while increasing violence across Latin America and doing nothing to stem overdose deaths.
If the administration were serious about addressing addiction, it would invest in treatment and prevention. Instead, it’s cutting these programs. The Trump administration only talks about ending the drug trade when it fits its political goals. Last year, Trump pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted of smuggling 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S.
3. This isn’t about democracy or human rights for the Venezuelan people, either.
The Trump administration claims it’s supporting democracy in Venezuela. But while Maduro has been kidnapped, his government remains in place. The U.S. says Maduro’s election was fraudulent and that the opposition won—yet it hasn’t called for handing power to the opposition. This exposes that regime change isn’t about democracy at all.
Across Venezuela, civil society groups, labor unions, faith communities, and grassroots organizers continue to demand dignity, rights, and accountability. These struggles can only be resolved by the people of Venezuela themselves, not imposed through U.S. military force.
Claims that the U.S. is supporting fair elections and rule of law ring hollow. This administration has undermined democratic institutions at home and supported repression abroad. The U.S. has no right to overthrow another country’s government. Yet Trump has intervened in elections in Argentina and Honduras, attempted to interfere in Brazil's judicial system, and rewarded allies’ human rights violations with lucrative contracts.
4. It’s about oil and control.
This attack is really about U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere and control over Venezuela’s oil and resources. The Trump administration’s shifting justifications—first claiming this was drugs and democracy, now openly saying the U.S. has the right to determine Venezuela’s future and seize its oil—reveal the truth.
The Trump administration has invoked what it calls a new Monroe Doctrine—asserting U.S. dominance across the Western Hemisphere and threatening countries that act against U.S. interests. This is imperialism, and it will only lead to more conflict.
There is no question that Maduro is responsible for serious human rights violations and should be held accountable. But that accountability must come from the Venezuelan people and their institutions—not a U.S. military kidnapping that undermines justice, sovereignty, and the rule of law.
5. This attack follows a familiar and dangerous pattern of U.S. intervention in Latin America and beyond.
The attack on Venezuela is the latest chapter in a century of devastating U.S. intervention in Latin America. From Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, so-called “limited” military actions have repeatedly turned into decades-long conflicts with catastrophic consequences.
In the 1980s, AFSC witnessed firsthand the impact of U.S. military intervention in Latin America. We documented the violence in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala and offered support and solidarity to those facing repression. Instead of bringing stability, the U.S. fueled conflict that killed and disappeared hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. The result has been ongoing cycles of violence, forced migration, and deep poverty that continue today.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, decades of war cost countless lives and trillions of dollars—without making us safer.
The U.S. has refused to learn from its shameful history.
6. Most people in the U.S. don’t want another forever war.
A majority of people in the U.S. oppose U.S. military action in Latin America. People are tired of endless conflicts that do nothing to improve their everyday lives. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on another costly war, our government should invest in the health, safety, and well-being of its people—including quality health care, nutrition programs, affordable housing, and good-paying jobs.
7. Congress must use its authority to stop further escalation.
On Jan. 8, the U.S. Senate took a step in the right direction when it advanced a war powers resolution barring military force against Venezuela without congressional approval. The full Senate is expected to vote on the measure soon. The House of Representatives must follow suit to condemn this attack and block further military action.
The international community must also respond. We must work in solidarity with the Venezuelan people, upholding their self-determination and human rights—whether people stay in Venezuela or migrate to the U.S.
Bombs and guns will never bring peace and justice. We refuse to go down this road again. We will not stand by while our government drags us toward another endless war.
Tell Congress: No war on Venezuela, no imperialism in Latin America.
