1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action against the Trump administration's coercive military and economic policies in Venezuela, which appear designed to enrich Big Oil donors rather than serve American interests. On January 29, 2026, Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez signed legislation privatizing the country's oil industry following the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the administration plans to control Venezuelan oil profits through a US Treasury blocked account, requiring Venezuela to submit budgets for approval before accessing their own funds. This follows Trump's return to office with substantial Big Oil campaign contributions and his explicit focus on Venezuela's petroleum reserves. Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, accurately characterized this as "imperial policy to benefit Big Oil, not Americans—and certainly not Venezuelans." The forced privatization law caps royalties at 30%, removes requirements for Venezuelan court jurisdiction, and allows corporate-friendly international tribunals to resolve disputes. These provisions primarily protect foreign oil companies from accountability while stripping Venezuela of sovereignty over its natural resources through what Weissman called "drone and gunboat diplomacy." This policy raises serious concerns about self-enrichment and conflicts of interest. Trump is using military force and sanctions to compel a foreign nation to restructure its economy in ways that directly benefit his campaign donors. Venezuelan scholars have condemned the legislation as "the absolute surrender of the state as an oil producer" and noted it takes the country back decades before oil nationalization. Congress has failed to pass war powers resolutions to stop military action in Venezuela despite questions about legality. I urge you to oppose this administration's use of military force for corporate profit, demand congressional authorization for any military action, and investigate potential conflicts of interest between Trump's Big Oil donors and his Venezuela policy. American foreign policy should serve the public interest, not enrich campaign contributors.