Reed, Auchincloss skeptical of Trump Venezuela strike motives, future plans

Christopher Boardman,

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Two congressional members are questioning the motivation behind the Trump administration’s Saturday strike on Venezuela that resulted in the removal of President Nicolás Maduro.

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed said in a statement, in part:

Initially, the White House claimed the purpose of the raid was to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas. Now, the President has claimed the United States will “run” Venezuela, and that the objective of this operation is to seize control of Venezuela’s oil reserves. This is ludicrous. No serious plan has been presented for how such an extraordinary undertaking would work or what it will cost the American people. History offers no shortage of warnings about the costs – human, strategic, and moral – of assuming we can govern another nation by force. This is not a legitimate basis for toppling a government. It violates international law and has failed catastrophically in the past.

Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss also weighed in on the military operation, saying in a Twitter post:

I commanded Marines in Latin America – they deserve a commander in chief operating lawfully and strategically. The president has no authority to strike Venezuela, no strategy for a democratic transition, and no credibility that he won’t just pardon the criminal Maduro like he did the Honduran president. After voting No in December, Republicans in Congress must now join Democrats to grab hold the steering wheel of Venezuela policy to prevent this capture from spiraling into a blood for oil war.

 

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