1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the United States’ recent military action in Venezuela and the forcible removal of Nicolás Maduro. Let me be clear: Maduro is a corrupt authoritarian, and the Venezuelan people have suffered enormously under his rule. I have a close friend in Venezuela and have heard directly, firsthand, how destructive his government has been. Acknowledging that reality does not make this U.S. action legal, moral, or helpful. The U.S. military operation against Venezuela was not authorized by Congress, was not carried out in self-defense, and was not sanctioned by international law. It constitutes an unlawful use of force and a dangerous escalation. Claims that this action was justified by drug trafficking allegations are not supported by credible evidence; Venezuela is not a major source of illicit drugs entering the United States, and it is certainly not a source of fentanyl. The President’s own statements suggesting that oil interests were a motivating factor only deepen concerns about illegality and exploitation. Removing Maduro does not dismantle the regime. The same corrupt power structures remain in place, and many Venezuelans fear that those now exercising authority are as bad as—or worse than—Maduro himself. The Venezuelan people are frightened. While there is relief that Maduro is gone, there is little expectation that this will improve their safety, freedom, or economic survival. If the stated concern were truly humanitarian, U.S. policy would not be so openly contradictory. The administration previously stripped Venezuelans in the United States of Temporary Protected Status, even while arguing that conditions in Venezuela were catastrophic. That inconsistency exposes the hollowness of humanitarian claims. U.S. sanctions failed to remove Maduro and may have strengthened him by fueling an “us versus the world” narrative. Military intervention now risks repeating that failure on a far more dangerous scale. It further erodes U.S. credibility, destabilizes the region, and has already damaged America’s standing internationally, as is evident in global reaction and condemnation. The United States has no right to occupy, control, or economically exploit Venezuela. American corporations should not be operating there under conditions created by military force and political chaos. This is not liberation—it is coercion. This is not about whether Maduro was a bad actor. He was. This is about whether the United States will abandon the rule of law, constitutional limits, and basic respect for national sovereignty in pursuit of power and resources. I urge you to publicly oppose this action, demand accountability, and reassert Congress’s authority over war-making. The Venezuelan people deserve genuine support, not regime change imposed at gunpoint.