PJALS Statement on the U.S. Attack on Venezuela
The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane condemns the recent U.S. military attack on Venezuela.
The Venezuelan people are not our enemy. We refuse to be manipulated by fear, propaganda, or scapegoating used to justify yet another act of U.S. militarism. This attack was launched without congressional authorization, in violation of international law, and without the consent of the American people. It is an illegal act of war.
Criticism of the Maduro government’s documented human rights abuses, political repression, and corruption is entirely justified and necessary. Solidarity with the Venezuelan people requires honesty about the harm caused by their current regime, and we reject any attempt to excuse or minimize that harm. At the same time, it is true that the U.S. abduction of Nicolás Maduro and the coercion of his political allies through military force to extract resources is imperialism. These acts are not about human rights or democracy. They are designed to enrich the MAGA regime and their billionaire backers while asserting U.S. dominance. We must hold these two truths together without contradiction.
This assault is not about public safety, democracy, or addressing the overdose crisis. Venezuela is not a source of fentanyl to the United States. Claims to the contrary are deliberate lies meant to obscure the truth: this war serves the interests of a powerful few, not everyday people here or abroad. As with so many U.S. interventions before it, this attack is about power, control, and profit, particularly access to oil and regional dominance.
History has shown us where this path leads. U.S. interventions across Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa have caused mass displacement, civilian death, environmental devastation, and long-term instability. While enriching war contractors and consolidating authoritarian power at home. Regime change wars do not bring freedom. They bring suffering.
This attack also threatens to deepen repression here in the United States. Authoritarians use war to justify expanded surveillance, increased militarization of police, attacks on civil liberties, and intensified targeting of immigrant communities. We have seen this playbook before, from the so-called War on Drugs to the post-9/11 expansion of the carceral and surveillance state. War abroad always comes home.
We stand firmly for the right of Venezuelans to determine their own future, free from foreign military force, economic coercion, and political manipulation. The capture or removal of leaders by a foreign power is not democracy. It is imperialism.
At a time when our communities face cuts to healthcare, housing, food assistance, education, and climate protections, the U.S. government continues to pour billions into war and militarism. Poor and working-class communities of all races bear the cost, including through the poverty draft that pushes young people, especially young people of color, into military service while denying them meaningful economic opportunity.
We reject this false choice between endless war and safety. Real safety comes from meeting human needs, respecting human rights, and investing in life-sustaining systems, not bombs, occupations, or empire.
We call for:
- An immediate end to U.S. military operations in Venezuela
- Full support in the U.S. House of Representatives for the War Powers Resolution
(On Thursday, 01/08/2026, the U.S. Senate took a critical step toward passing a War Powers Resolution by approving a procedural vote to advance it, reflecting growing opposition to unauthorized war. We call on members of the House to uphold their constitutional responsibility and support this resolution to stop further escalation.)
- Accountability for illegal acts of war
- A commitment to diplomacy, international law, and self-determination
- A redirection of resources from war to the care our communities need to live and thrive
Take Action
We are asking community to send targeted emails to certain members of Washington’s federal delegation based on where each official currently stands:
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Senator Maria Cantwell voted to pass the War Powers Resolution. Thank her for this important vote and urge her to continue forcefully opposing U.S. military action in Venezuela.
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Senator Patty Murray also voted to pass the War Powers Resolution and has spoken out clearly against the attack. Thank her for her leadership and urge continued oversight, accountability, and de-escalation.
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Representative Michael Baumgartner supports this illegal, imperialist act of war. Demand that he reverse course.