INoticias.CL | «They Deceived Congress Outrageously»: US Dissent Against Trump Accuses Him of Illegal Attack on Venezuela

US: Trump Accused of Committing an «Illegal Act of War» Against Venezuela by Ignoring the Constitution and Lying to Legislators

The military operation ordered by President Donald Trump against Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, has ignited a political storm in Washington. Key congressional members, from both parties, have labeled the action as «illegal» and a blatant violation of the Constitution for being executed without the necessary legislative approval. According to a report by TheNation.com, the Trump administration did not consult with the leaders of the Armed Services Committees in the Senate and House before the attack, provoking bipartisan outrage and promises for immediate corrective actions.

Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was emphatic in his statements to NPR, as noted by TheNation.com: «A US invasion of Venezuela to overthrow its president and arrest him is illegal». He argued that the attack signifies «a return to a time when the United States claimed the right to dominate the internal affairs of all nations in the Western Hemisphere». He warned of a dangerous precedent: «Will the president deploy our troops to protect Iranian protesters? To enforce a fragile ceasefire in Gaza?… Trump has threatened to do all this and more, and sees no need to seek legal authorization».

Allegations of Lies and Violation of Constitutional Process

The anger in Capitol Hill was further fueled by accusations that high-ranking administration officials deliberately lied to Congress about their intentions. Senator Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey and former national security advisor under Obama, directly accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a statement reported by The New York Times: «Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every senator in the eye just weeks ago and said this was not about regime change… now we see they outrageously lied to Congress». Kim claimed in the statement that Trump rejected the constitutional process «because the administration knows that the American public overwhelmingly opposes the risks of dragging our nation into another war».

Representative James Walkinshaw, a Democrat from Virginia, was even more blunt in summarizing the action in statements to TheNation.com: «Trump’s regime change war in Venezuela is completely illegal and yet another betrayal of the commitments he made to the American people. He said there would be no ‘new stupid wars.’ He is starting new stupid wars».

This sense of deception was echoed by Representative Mark Pocan, who, according to TheNation.com, warned that the president «has ignored the Constitution» and that his actions «continue to degrade the rule of law».

Skepticism and the Shadow of International Law

Criticism was not limited to the Democratic Party. Initially, Senator Mike Lee, a Republican, publicly expressed his constitutional concerns on social media, as reported by TheNation.com: «I hope to learn what, if anything, could constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force».

Although he later softened his stance after a call from Rubio, analyst Josh Rogin of the Washington Post highlighted the gravity of the act in an analysis cited by TheNation.com: «The United States has just kidnapped a foreign head of state and bombed a foreign capital… President Trump has just committed an act of war against Venezuela».

The editorial of The New York Times titled «Trump’s Attack on Venezuela is Illegal and Reckless» encapsulated the sentiment of many, arguing that the action «violates US law» by proceeding without Congressional approval.

Republican Representative Thomas Massie questioned the legal coherence of the justification in a post on X, reported by TheNation.com: «If this action were constitutionally valid, the Attorney General would not be tweeting that they arrested the president of a sovereign country and his wife for possession of weapons, violating a US firearms law from 1934».

The illegality of the operation was also denounced from the local sphere. New York Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, according to a publication by The New York Times , following a call with Trump, stated his opposition to «seeking a regime change, to violating federal and international law». Mamdani emphasized that the action directly impacts the large Venezuelan community in his city.

Legislative response is quickly being organized. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced, according to The New York Times, that he will push for a vote next week on a war powers resolution to limit Trump’s military actions. Schumer demanded that the administration immediately inform Congress to «prevent a humanitarian and geopolitical disaster that would plunge us into another endless war». Meanwhile, Senator Jack Reed, the lead Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, stated in comments reported by The New York Times: «Last night, President Trump declared war on a foreign nation without authorization, notification, or providing any explanation to the American people… Regardless of what happens, President Trump will face the consequences».

US Congressional Hispanic Caucus Rejects Trump’s «Unauthorized» Intervention Plan for Venezuela

Leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) labeled this Saturday as «unforgivable» that President Donald Trump allocated «billions of taxpayer dollars» to an «unauthorized» military action in Venezuela, instead of using those resources to «help millions of Americans facing extreme increases in their health insurance costs.» In a statement released by Telesur, the caucus, founded in 1976 and comprising over twenty Latino congress members from various states, warned that the interventionist plan «will not only weaken our global and regional alliances but will also harm Americans within our country,» emphasizing that «this social crisis could still be avoided if Trump would only put America first.»

The CHC unequivocally rejected the notion that «the United States can manage another sovereign nation» and warned that the president «is putting the United States and its men and women in uniform in a dangerous and uncertain situation.» After stating that «we will do everything possible to avoid the disasters that illegal and poorly organized interventions often cause,» the congress members announced that «we will work to restore constitutional order in the United States by returning war powers to Congress, as mandated by the Constitution.»

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