1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand that you immediately use every constitutional power at your disposal to stop the Trump administration’s illegal and reckless assault on Venezuela and to hold those responsible accountable for grave violations of international law. Bombing the capital of a sovereign nation we are not at war with, abducting its sitting president and first lady, and openly discussing the forcible takeover of another country’s resources does not make the United States safer. It is an act of aggression. It is illegal under both U.S. and international law. And it risks igniting a wider regional war. President Trump has openly stated that American oil companies will “make a lot of money” by taking over Venezuela’s oil—the largest proven reserves in the world, roughly 17% of the global total—and that the United States would effectively “run the country.” This is not national security policy. It is resource theft, stated plainly. Under the UN Charter, the use of force against another state is prohibited except in self-defense or with explicit Security Council authorization. Neither exists here. The kidnapping of a head of state is a clear violation of international law and sets a precedent that endangers diplomats and civilians everywhere—including Americans. Domestically, the Constitution is unambiguous. Congress alone has the power to declare war. The War Powers Resolution requires congressional authorization for hostilities. No such authorization exists. And yet, Trump and his cabinet are ridiculing you and every other member of Congress. The Trump administration is making the American people’s representatives look like spineless failures—boasting openly about war crimes and daring Congress to stop them. If Congress does nothing, that ridicule is earned. History shows exactly where U.S. intervention in Latin America leads: instability, mass displacement, violence, and long-term blowback. Venezuela will be no exception. If this war is not stopped now, it will expand. You must act immediately. Block funding for military action against Venezuela. Launch investigations into these violations of law. Publicly condemn this assault. Reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over war. Silence is complicity. Inaction is surrender. End this illegal war now.