1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

Unlawful Attack of Venezula by Trump - We Americans need to remove him from office and all Senators that don’t support our Laws and Constitution. What happened • Early on January 3, there were explosions and reports of aircraft over Caracas and other parts of Venezuela. Residents reported blasts near military facilities and airbases. • President Trump announced that the U.S. had carried out a military operation, claiming Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and would be brought to the U.S. to face criminal charges. • Venezuelan authorities denounced it as a military aggression and violation of their sovereignty. • Governments and international actors have reacted with strong condemnation, while some U.S. officials defend the action. ⸻ Was it legal for Trump to order this? The question of legality has not been officially settled and is highly controversial. Here’s why: Under U.S. law • The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. For a major military operation against a sovereign country, presidents normally seek authorization from Congress (e.g., a formal authorization for the use of military force). • According to current reporting, there’s no indication that Congress formally authorized a full-scale invasion or military action against Venezuela before this operation. • Some members of Congress are already publicly saying the strike was unjustified and illegal because it lacked that authorization. Under international law • Nations are generally prohibited from using force against another sovereign state except in very limited circumstances: 1. Self-defense — if there’s an imminent attack. 2. UN Security Council authorization — through a resolution. • There’s no publicly reported indication that Venezuela posed an imminent threat to the United States that would legitimately justify force in self-defense. • The U.S. apparently did not obtain a UN Security Council resolution authorizing the action. • If true, many international law experts would say this violates the United Nations Charter, which prohibits use of force except in those narrow circumstances.