WASHINGTON, Jan 3: The US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sparked intense partisan divisions in Congress.
Republicans broadly supported President Donald Trump, praising the operation as a decisive action against a “narcoterrorist” and a step to secure American interests.
Senator Lindsey Graham called Maduro “an evil, corrupt narcoterrorist” and lauded the operation as creating a path to freedom for Venezuelans.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said it protected the homeland and curbed drug and terror operations in the Western Hemisphere.
Senator Tom Cotton defended bypassing Congress, comparing the Maduro arrest to domestic law enforcement operations where legislative notification isn’t required, and highlighted the involvement of the FBI in the mission.
Senate Republican leader John Thune described the capture as a critical first step to bring Maduro to justice for U.S. drug trafficking charges.
Democrats, however, criticized the operation as unconstitutional and risky, arguing it bypassed Congress and could entangle the US in another conflict.
Representative Jim Himes stressed that Congress should have authorized military action, while Senator Andy Kim accused administration officials of misleading lawmakers about the mission’s purpose.
Senator Ruben Gallego called it the “second unjustified war” of his lifetime, and Massachusetts Democrats Jim McGovern and Jake Auchincloss described the strike as illegal and “unjustified,” warning it jeopardized Americans in Venezuela and harmed US.credibility abroad.
The debate centers on Article II powers of the president versus congressional oversight. Republicans framed the operation as law enforcement targeting indicted drug traffickers, while Democrats argued it was effectively a military intervention without legal authorization.
The incident underscores growing tensions over executive authority, foreign policy, and the US role in Latin America.
Maduro, first indicted in 2020 on narco-terrorism charges for allegedly conspiring with Colombian guerrillas to traffic cocaine into the US, was flown to the United States with his wife to face prosecution.
The operation’s legality, implications for U.S. foreign policy, and partisan reactions signal a contentious battle in Washington over the balance of military power and oversight. (IANS)
