Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has launched one of the strongest domestic political rebukes yet of President Donald Trump’s military operation in Venezuela.
The former VP says the capture of President Nicolás Maduro was an illegal, oil-driven intervention that endangers American lives and destabilizes an entire region.
In a sharply worded post on X, Harris argued that the January 3 US military action—codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve—does not make the United States “safer, stronger, or more affordable,” and warned that the operation follows a familiar and costly historical pattern.
“We’ve seen this movie before,” Harris wrote. “Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.”
“Unlawful and Unwise”
Harris acknowledged Maduro’s widely criticized human rights record, calling him a “brutal, illegitimate dictator,” but stressed that his character does not justify what she described as an unlawful use of force.
Her central argument focuses on legality and precedent. Harris accused the Trump administration of acting without clear constitutional or international legal authority, offering “no exit plan, and no benefit at home,” while placing US troops directly in harm’s way.
This critique comes as international law experts, United Nations officials, and several governments question Washington’s claim that the operation was a law-enforcement action backed by “inherent constitutional authority.”
Oil, Not Democracy
The most pointed accusation in Harris’s statement is her assertion that the intervention had little to do with democracy or counter-narcotics enforcement, despite official justifications.
“This is not about drugs or democracy,” she wrote. “It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman.”
Harris further alleged hypocrisy within the administration, noting Trump’s past pardon of a convicted drug trafficker while simultaneously citing narcotics as a rationale for the Venezuela operation. She also accused the White House of sidelining Venezuela’s recognized opposition in favor of pursuing deals with figures connected to Maduro’s inner circle.
Rising Human Cost and Global Fallout
According to Venezuelan and Cuban officials, more than 80 people were killed during the operation, including dozens of Cuban military and intelligence personnel. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn ahead of a scheduled federal court appearance in Manhattan.
The operation has sparked mixed reactions worldwide, including protests and celebrations among Venezuelans in the diaspora. In Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez denounced the capture as a kidnapping and was later sworn in as acting president following a ruling by Venezuela’s Supreme Court.
Trump initially claimed the United States would “run” Venezuela during a transition period—remarks later walked back by Secretary of State Marco Rubio—adding to uncertainty over US intentions and fueling international concern.
A Broader Political Line in the Sand
Harris’s statement goes beyond Venezuela, positioning the operation as part of a wider pattern of executive overreach.
She warned that allowing repeated constitutional violations—whether related to foreign policy, due process, or military power—creates a “downward spiral” that is difficult to stop.
“The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to,” Harris said.
She concluded by contrasting the operation with what she described as urgent domestic priorities: lowering costs for working families, strengthening alliances, enforcing the rule of law, and putting Americans first.
As Maduro prepares to appear before a US federal judge on Jan. 5, Harris’s intervention underscores how the Venezuela operation is rapidly becoming not just a foreign policy crisis, but a defining fault line in American politics.
