The United States Senate is poised for a crucial vote this Thursday on a resolution designed to curb President Donald Trump's ability to launch further military operations against Venezuela. The move comes in direct response to a dramatic weekend raid by US special forces in Caracas, which resulted in the capture and extradition of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Democrats Challenge Presidential War Powers
The war powers resolution, spearheaded by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, would legally compel President Trump to seek authorisation from Congress before initiating any attack or deploying military force against Venezuela. This legislative push follows the covert operation on Saturday, which saw American troops storm the Venezuelan capital and transport Maduro to New York to face serious "narco-terrorism" charges.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Kaine argued that Congress must define its stance for the American public, especially after the raid which left several US service members injured. He emphasised a foundational principle that war should be a last resort, not a decision made unilaterally by one person.
Republican Defence and Democratic Defections
The resolution faces significant hurdles, as previous attempts to limit the administration's military campaign in Venezuela have narrowly failed to gain the necessary Republican support. Many within the GOP have lauded Trump's aggressive stance. House Speaker Mike Johnson declared the world safer with Maduro in US custody, praising the President's decisive action as a deterrent to global tyrants.
However, the Democratic position is not entirely unified. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania broke ranks, publicly commending the Caracas raid as a "positive development for Venezuela" and praising the military's execution. Within Republican ranks, Senators Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski have consistently supported efforts to reassert Congressional authority over declarations of war, with Paul warning against allowing the country to be "run by emergency."
A Broader Conflict and Future Battles
This latest political clash is part of an escalating confrontation that began in September, when Trump authorised airstrikes on vessels off Venezuela's coast suspected of drug trafficking. Those strikes have reportedly killed at least 110 people, though experts have contested claims the boats carried fentanyl. Controversy deepened with revelations that the military chose to kill two survivors of one strike.
Regardless of Thursday's outcome, Democrats signal they will persist. Kaine indicated plans to introduce similar war powers resolutions concerning Nigeria, Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia—all nations Trump has targeted or threatened in the past year. Meanwhile, senior Democrat Gregory Meeks criticised administration officials for an unsatisfactory briefing to lawmakers, questioning the shifting justifications for intervention from drugs to regime change to oil, and suggested he would pursue another vote in the House.
