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 toward Latin America.
President Trump announced that the U.S. will “run the country” until some undefined transition. But history shows us where U.S. military intervention leads.
War is never the path 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 president does not have this legal authority, and there was no congressional approval for this attack.
The attacks also violates Article 2 of the U.N. Charter, which protects the sovereignty of nations.
2. Venezuela posed no threat to the United States.
Venezuela did not threaten the U.S. in any way that would justify military action. 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. These attacks were justified by false claims about fentanyl smuggling from Venezuela, even though fentanyl is not trafficked from Venezuela. The Trump administration has also seized oil tankers near Venezuela’s coast and imposed an illegal blockade in December 2025.
4. This isn’t about drug trafficking or democracy—it’s about oil and control.
The Trump administration first said this violence was about stopping drug smuggling and bringing democracy and human rights to Venezuela. Now it openly claims the U.S. has the right to overthrow Venezuela’s government and seize the country’s nationalized oil.
These shifting justifications expose what this attack is really about: U.S. control over oil and resources. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves.
The attack on Venezuela and boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific are not about stopping drugs. 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. 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.
This isn’t about democracy, either. Such claims ring hollow coming from an administration that has undermined democratic institutions at home and dismantled accountability for drug traffickers. 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.
There is no question that Nicolás Maduro has committed 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 the Vietnam War to Iraq and Afghanistan, “limited” military actions frequently turn into decades-long conflicts with catastrophic consequences.
As a Quaker organization committed to peace and justice, we oppose violence in all its forms. 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—creating 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. oppose military action in Latin America and 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.
Congress must immediately condemn this act of aggression and use its war powers authority to block further military actions. 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.
