Democratic Socialists of America Respond to U.S. Operation Against Venezuelan President Maduro
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a U.S. socialist organization, issued a statement criticizing the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The statement called for their return to power, noting they currently face criminal charges on U.S. soil.
DSA's Stance on U.S. Action
In its statement, the DSA asserted that the "Trump Administration has started an illegal war against Venezuela." The group characterized this as an "imperialist war" intended to establish a U.S.-aligned government, secure Venezuela’s oil resources for U.S. corporations, and impose U.S. influence over Latin America, referring to it as a "Trump Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine. The DSA claimed this action is illegal under both international law and U.S. laws governing declarations of war.
Regarding the charges against Maduro, the DSA stated, "Trump’s war has nothing to do with drug trafficking." The organization further claimed there is "no substantiated evidence that high-level members of the Venezuelan government are 'narco-terrorists.'" The DSA alleged that the Trump administration used this claim as a pretext for an "illegal war," describing it as a "regime-change war" aimed at seizing another country’s oil and suppressing opposition to U.S. foreign policy, predicting it would negatively impact the people of Latin America.
U.S. Military Operation and Accusations
President Donald Trump confirmed a military operation in Venezuela on a Saturday morning, which resulted in the arrests of Maduro and Flores on narcotics charges. The operation reportedly involved no U.S. military casualties or equipment damage.
Maduro, who was first elected president of Venezuela in 2013, is accused of involvement with cartels and drug gangs in South America and Mexico to distribute cocaine to the U.S. Trump had previously campaigned on a platform to curb the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. During his second term, he imposed tariffs on countries like China concerning fentanyl and authorized operations in the Caribbean targeting suspected drug traffickers from Venezuela.
Trump's Comments on the Operation
President Trump described the operation as a success, noting the capture of Maduro and his wife. He praised the military's execution of the operation, stating that the U.S. military is the "strongest and most fearsome military on the planet" with superior capabilities and equipment.
DSA's Political Connections
The DSA includes prominent political figures among its members and endorsed candidates. Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member, was elected Mayor of New York City. U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) are also members of the organization and have received its endorsements in past elections.