Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) condemns Donald Trump and his administration for launching unprovoked, unwarranted, illegal military attacks against the people of Venezuela. We further condemn their operations abducting Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. No democratic nation can tolerate illegal secret warfare, clandestine regime change operations, or removal of foreign leadership carried out in our name.
PDA joins with the Congressional Progressive Congress (CPC) in demanding passage of H.Con.Res. 61 and H.Con.Res. 64, Described by the CPC as “Congressional directives to remove U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Western Hemisphere without delay.”
We support the CPC’s advocacy for what they described as “[T]wo resolutions led by House Foreign Affairs and Rules Committee Ranking Members Meeks and McGovern to end Trump’s brutal military campaign that has killed at least 87 people and is driving us toward a catastrophic forever war in Venezuela. The resolutions are privileged under the War Powers Resolution and are available for floor action this week.”
PDA calls upon the U.S. Congress to act immediately, employing its authority under the Constitution to force the Trump Administration to halt all military operations targeting Venezuela. This, by passing privileged emergency War Powers legislation directing the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from the area and cessation of hostilities, as well as defunding all regime‑change, assassination or kidnapping plots, or other military or paramilitary operations.
The Congress must move swiftly to end, prohibit, and defund all offensive actions against Venezuela, including sanctions, blockades, strikes, and other so‑called “counter‑narcotics” missions that serve as a pretext for war. The Congress must exercise its Constitutional appropriations, investigative, and legislative powers to halt and prevent any further illegal actions and war crimes.
Every moment of delay further endangers innocent Venezuelan lives, and risks setting a catastrophic precedent: that a president may unilaterally launch unprovoked and unwarranted, military attacks, air strikes, invasions, covert operations, and illegal attempts to impose regime‑change.
Additionally, the Congress must immediately demand a full accounting about these illegal attacks. This, including who ordered the operations, where the detainees are being held, and how the administration plans to remediate these outrages.
Furthermore, the Congress must launch a full and comprehensive independent investigation into any and all violations of U.S. and international law, including the U.N. Charter’s prohibition against aggressive war and the kidnapping of foreign officials. This by holding hearings, examining witnesses and documents, and other fact finding procedures, in order to hold those responsible accountable.
Finally, Progressive Democrats of America calls upon Congress to reject the shameful bipartisan complicity in this campaign of escalating aggression, and to replace it with a sound, sensible foreign policy grounded in diplomacy, human rights, and the self‑determination of all people, including the Venezuelan people.
In conclusion, history will judge whether Congress stood up in this moment to stop an illegal war; or stood by while unilateral executive branch actions were allowed to proceed, weakening the Constitution, our democracy, and the rule of law. Carried out without congressional authorization or clear evidence of an imminent threat, Trump’s actions blatantly violated the U.S. Constitution as well as U.S. and international law. As Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) stated:
The American people did not ask for this act of war to bring about regime change in Venezuela—nor did Congress authorize it. President Trump has put our troops in harm’s way, and he has not provided a clear, fact-based rationale for these actions, nor the long-term strategy following these strikes….
This act of war is a grave abuse of power by the President. The Trump Administration is repeating the worst mistakes of our past and endangering American lives—and their motive for doing so is a farce. Trump seized Maduro and his wife just weeks after he pardoned former Honduran President—and notorious convicted drug kingpin—Juan Orlando Hernández….
This is not about demolishing a dictatorship, as we’ve seen Trump cozy up to dictators around the world. This is about trying to grab Venezuela’s oil for Trump’s billionaire buddies. Congress must not abdicate its constitutional authority and allow control of the world’s most powerful military to fall into just one set of hands.
We agree. This is not foreign policy. This is militarized authoritarianism. We must act to stop it now, before it spreads to enflame the entire region, if not the entire globe in a dangerous, unnecessary conflict. We are outraged, but this moment demands more than outrage. It demands organized, coordinated resistance.
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is helping lead the charge, organizing with our allies inside and outside of Congress to push back. We’re mobilizing support for the Progressive Caucus’ War Powers Resolutions and coordinating protests demanding an immediate ceasefire and all party negotiations to achieve a just and durable peace as soon as practicable.
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and U.S. politics by working inside and outside of the party. This, by electing empowered progressives and by building the progressive movement in solidarity with with peace, justice, civil rights, environmental, and other reform efforts. For more information about the organization, please see https://PDAmerica.org
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