America’s assault on Venezuela and the purported “seize” of President Nicolas Maduro have drawn heated reactions in Washington, DC, amid months of mounting tensions between the 2 international locations.
Democratic lawmakers have largely condemned US President Donald Trump’s actions on Saturday towards the South American nation and its chief, saying they violate worldwide legislation and lack crucial Congressional approval.
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Members of Trump’s Republican Get together, in the meantime, have defended the assaults as a part of the administration’s push to stem drug trafficking into the US.
Right here’s a have a look at among the reactions from US lawmakers.
Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
“Trump’s unlawful and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of worldwide legislation and the U.S. Structure. These are the actions of a rogue state,” Tlaib wrote on social media.
“The American individuals don’t want one other regime change warfare overseas.”
Democratic Senator Andy Kim
The Democratic senator accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth of mendacity once they informed lawmakers throughout a Senate briefing final month that the US strain marketing campaign towards Venezuela was not about regime change.
“I didn’t belief them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress,” Kim wrote on X.
“Trump rejected our Constitutionally required approval course of for armed battle as a result of the Administration is aware of the American individuals overwhelmingly reject dangers pulling our nation into one other warfare.”
He added that the US strike “doesn’t symbolize energy” and isn’t “sound overseas coverage”.
“It places Individuals in danger in Venezuela and the area, and it sends a horrible and disturbing sign to different highly effective leaders throughout the globe that focusing on a head of state is a suitable coverage for the U.S. authorities.”
Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum
McCollum, the rating Democrat on the US Home Appropriations Subcommittee on Protection, known as on Trump to right away halt US strikes towards Venezuela.
“The actions taken right this moment by the Trump administration are blatantly unlawful,” she mentioned in an announcement.
“Venezuela poses no imminent nationwide safety risk to the USA and Congress has not voted to authorize any use of drive within the area.”
She urged Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson to name the Home of Representatives again into session instantly “to rein on this out-of-control President”.
Democratic Senator Reuben Gallego
“This warfare is against the law, it’s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in lower than one yr. There isn’t any cause for us to be at warfare with Venezuela,” Gallego wrote on X.
Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern
McGovern additionally raised questions concerning the lack of Congressional oversight, saying that “with out authorization from Congress, and with the overwhelming majority of Individuals against navy motion, Trump simply launched an unjustified, unlawful strike on Venezuela.”
“He says we don’t manage to pay for for healthcare for Individuals—however one way or the other we’ve limitless funds for warfare??” the Democratic lawmaker wrote on X.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton
Cotton, a prime Trump ally in Congress, hailed the US president in addition to US troops and legislation enforcement officers for an “unbelievable operation”.
“Nicolas Maduro wasn’t simply an illegitimate dictator; he additionally ran an unlimited drug-trafficking operation. That’s why he was indicted in U.S. courtroom practically six years in the past for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism,” Cotton wrote on X.
He mentioned he spoke with Rubio, the US secretary of state, who confirmed that Maduro was in US custody and “will face justice for his crimes towards our residents”.
Cotton then appeared to threaten the interim authorities in Venezuela, saying it wanted to “resolve whether or not to proceed the drug trafficking and colluding with adversaries like Iran and Cuba or whether or not to behave like a traditional nation and return to the civilized world”.
“I urge them to decide on properly,” Cotton wrote.
Republican Senator Mike Lee
Lee, who had been essential of the Trump administration’s strain marketing campaign towards Venezuela, mentioned Rubio informed him that Maduro had been arrested “to face trial on felony expenses” within the US.
Lee additionally wrote on social media that Rubio informed him the US navy motion in Venezuela “was deployed to guard and defend these executing the arrest warrant”.
“This motion seemingly falls throughout the president’s inherent authority underneath Article II of the Structure to guard U.S. personnel from an precise or imminent assault,” Lee mentioned in a put up on X.
Republican Senator Rick Scott
The Florida senator mentioned “the strikes towards and seize of narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro” had been carried out “with a degree of professionalism and precision”.
He mentioned in addition they ship a message to the world that Trump “is a person of his phrase, and the USA won’t tolerate terrorists.”
“Maduro was indicted in a U.S. Court docket and was informed to cease sending medicine into our nation to kill our children and grandkids, however he refused. That is peace via energy on full show. At present, America and the world are a safer place,” Scott wrote on X.
US Vice President JD Vance
Vance mentioned that the operation to “seize” Maduro reveals that Trump “means what he says”.
“The president supplied a number of off ramps, however was very clear all through this course of: the drug trafficking should cease, and the stolen oil should be returned to the USA,” Vance mentioned on social media.
Earlier than Saturday’s assaults, senior Trump administration officers had mentioned Venezuela’s oil belongs to Washington, falsely describing the nationalisation of the South American nation’s petroleum business as “theft”.
In his X put up, Vance additionally addressed the specialists, world leaders and US lawmakers who’ve denounced the administration’s actions towards Venezuela as unlawful.
“And PSA for everybody saying this was ‘unlawful’: Maduro has a number of indictments in the USA for narcoterrorism. You don’t get to keep away from justice for drug trafficking in the USA since you dwell in a palace in Caracas,” the US vice chairman mentioned.
