PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
January 4, 2026
Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278
Chicago, IL- Alianza Americas, a national network of 55+ organizations led by Latin American and Caribbean migrants living in the U.S., condemns the U.S. military operation to arrest and remove Nicolás Maduro from power. While we recognize the years of dictatorship, human rights abuses, and economic collapse under Maduro’s regime, which forced millions to flee Venezuela and led to widespread celebration of his removal, the violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and the de facto declaration of U.S. control over its government is unjustifiable, especially without clarity on the duration or scope of U.S. involvement. Regardless of how undemocratic and authoritarian the Maduro regime has been for the Venezuelan people, a military intervention for economic purposes can not be justified.
This operation follows prior U.S. actions in the Caribbean and Pacific targeting ships allegedly transporting drugs, without evidence. The Trump Administration’s intentions are now explicit: to seize control of Venezuela’s natural resources for itself and for profit-driven corporations. Trump himself has declared that the U.S. will oversee Venezuela’s oil reserves, enriching U.S. companies and consolidating imperial control. As indicated in the recently released U.S. National Security Strategy, these actions threaten the sovereignty of any country in the Western Hemisphere that does not submit to the U.S.'s national interests.
Additionally, President Trump’s claims of concern for the Venezuelan people are deeply hypocritical. The administration has fostered a xenophobic and racist narrative to demonize Venezuelan migrants while taking unprecedented imperial action abroad. It has canceled key humanitarian protections for Venezuelans in the U.S., including Temporary Protected Status (TPS), humanitarian parole, and asylum. The lives of countless families hang in limbo. If the administration really cared for the Venezuelan people, it would exercise its power to do right by these communities by restoring these protections immediately.
The Venezuela operation aligns with the Trump Administration’s domestic authoritarian trend, including the normalization of an “internal enemy” narrative, increased National Guard mobilization, and frequent use of armed forces. To congressional leaders, this moment is a warning: executive power must be limited to prevent the continuation of violence and imperialism that threatens the rights of Americans, the Western Hemisphere, and global democracy. Congress must act now and limit the use of military forces, both domestically and abroad.
Alianza Americas condemns this violation of international law, highlights the dangerous precedent it sets for the region, and reaffirms its commitment to the sovereignty, dignity, and self-determination of the Venezuelan people. We demand that the U.S. ensure a transparent and democratic transfer of power that allows Venezuelans to choose their own government and to create their own transition path towards democracy and accountability for human rights violations.
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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity and human rights in the Americas.
