I am writing to urge you to oppose any military action or further escalation against Venezuela. President Trump has ordered a complete blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers and deployed what he described as the largest Armada in the region's history, including the world's largest aircraft carrier. This aggressive posture risks drawing our country into an unnecessary and costly conflict.
Military intervention in Venezuela would be a strategic mistake with severe consequences. Oil makes up 80 percent of Venezuela's exports, and this blockade has already prompted Venezuela to request a UN Security Council meeting to address US aggression. China, which purchases the vast majority of Venezuelan crude, has accused the US of bullying and will likely respond to protect its economic interests. We risk escalating tensions with a major global power over a regional dispute that does not threaten American security.
The United States has no legitimate reason to deploy military force against Venezuela. While the Trump administration is working to arrange a White House meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, regime change through military means has repeatedly proven disastrous. We learned costly lessons in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan about the human and financial toll of interventionist foreign policy.
At a time when the Senate just passed a $900 billion defense bill, the biggest military spending program in history under the National Defense Authorization Act, we should be questioning whether more military adventurism serves American interests. These resources would be better spent addressing domestic priorities rather than funding another potential quagmire.
I urge you to publicly oppose military action against Venezuela and work with colleagues to prevent this administration from unilaterally entering armed conflict without congressional authorization. Diplomacy and respect for international law must guide our foreign policy, not military threats.
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