Trump’s Venezuela Blockade an Act of War; Congress Must Act

December 17, 2025 – In response to President Trump’s announcement on social media of a blockade of certain ships into and out of Venezuela, Center for International Policy Executive Vice President Matt Duss issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump is starting an illegal and reckless war with Venezuela.

“Blockades, including partial ones like the one announced yesterday by President Trump, are considered acts of war under international law. This act of aggression follows nearly one hundred extrajudicial killings at sea and a massive building of U.S. Armed Forces in the Caribbean on Trump’s orders. 

“After a quarter century of bloody and costly military adventurism, Americans overwhelmingly do not want to start or fight another war of choice. 70 percent of U.S. voters oppose taking military action in Venezuela. Trump was elected on a promise to end wars, not start them. Not only is he breaking that promise, his aggression towards Venezuela echoes the worst moments of American imperialist violence and domination in Latin America. We should be moving away from that history, not rebooting it. 

“Congress must act to assert its constitutional war powers and stop Trump from launching an illegal and destabilizing war in our hemisphere. Lawmakers are expected to vote imminently on measures under the War Powers Resolution that would make clear the President does not have congressional authorization to engage U.S. Armed Forces in hostilities against Venezuela. Lawmakers who oppose these measures would not only be rejecting the will of the vast majority of the Americans they represent, but also abdicating one of their most solemn sworn duties.”

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