American Imperialism

January 5, 2026

On January 3^rd, Donald Trump invaded Venezuela and kidnapped their president and first lady. This was done without notice to, or permission from, Congress. These were violations of federal and international law and were the acts of a tyrant, not the leader of a constitutional republic. We have surrendered the moral high ground on the world stage and set a dangerous precedent for authoritarians to act with impunity. We can no longer challenge Xi on his designs for Taiwan, nor Putin as he tries to claim Ukraine in his quest to resurrect the Soviet Union.

Make no mistake: this is not a defense of Nicolás Maduro or his dictatorial rule. It is a defense of American ideals! We cannot have a foreign policy based on invading countries and kidnapping their heads of state. As an immigrant from Jamaica, it was especially unsettling for me when both Trump and Marco Rubio made it clear that Cuba could be next. It is a chilling message being sent to the Caribbean, Latin America, and the rest of the world: American imperialism is here!

The situation is made much worse when you consider the entire reason this happened: Oil

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world! The type that US refineries in the Gulf are designed to process. Additionally, during his second presidential campaign, Donald Trump requested a 1 billion dollar donation from the gathered oil and gas executives at a fundraiser (receiving millions in response), promising them lax regulation and increased profits. When speaking at a press conference after the invasion, Trump made it clear that American companies would be the ones managing Venezuelan oil. He's repaying his donors at the expense of a country's sovereignty. Saying the quiet part out loud like this would make both prior Bush administrations blush!

Ignore everything this administration said to justify murdering individuals in boats off Venezuela's coast. All claims about drugs fall apart when you consider that Trump just pardoned the former Honduran president, Juan Orlando Hernández, for drug trafficking.

Congress must rein in this madness! Exercise your Article I powers and hold this lawless president accountable!