Bernie Sanders calls US military action in Venezuela ‘illegal, dangerous’

The US senator says the president “lacks” authority to launch a war and urges Congress to intervene

Photo: Reuters

US Senator Bernie Sanders has condemned Donald Trump’s military operation in Venezuela, describing it as “illegal, dangerous, and contrary to the president’s campaign promises”.

In a video posted on social media, the Vermont independent argued that Trump “lacks” the authority to unilaterally involve the United States in war, even against Nicolás Maduro.

Sanders urged Congress to quickly pass a war powers resolution to halt what he termed an “illegal military operation” and to restore legislative oversight over decisions of war and peace.

He warned that the strike would not make the US or the world safer, calling it a “flagrant violation of international law,” and compared it with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rationale for invading Ukraine, highlighting the dangerous precedent of using force for regime change.

The military action, codenamed "Operation Absolute Resolve," was launched in the early hours of Saturday.

According to Reuters, the operation involved pre-dawn airstrikes across northern Venezuela and the capital, Caracas, targeting military infrastructure.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by elite US forces -- reportedly members of Delta Force -- and flown to New York to face charges of "narcoterrorism”.

At a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump announced that the US would "run" Venezuela until a "safe and judicious transition" is established, citing the "Donroe Doctrine" -- a rebranding of the historic Monroe Doctrine.