On Jan. 3, 2026, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was kidnapped by U.S. special forces, and transported to New York City, where he is facing charges of narcoterrorism. Maduro was abducted along with his wife, who is also being charged with drug trafficking and weapons related offenses. On Jan. 5, they both pleaded not guilty.
During the military operation, 100 people were killed by U.S. strikes, including 32 Cubans, who were in Venezuela assisting the Maduro government in security and intelligence matters. To be clear: this attack was nothing but the most naked imperialist violence and the most illegal aggression abroad, and it must be firmly opposed by everybody who faces state terror here in the United States.
The U.S. government’s decades of fomenting and facilitating terrorism everywhere, including within its own borders, has demonstrated that the United States justice system was not built to ensure equality before the law. Rather, it was built on subservience before business and property. And because the people of Venezuela challenge the interests and assets of giant oil cartels— because their resistance to American imperialism is bad for business, there is no chance that the Maduros will receive a fair trial. Even on the off-chance that they were found not guilty, what would happen? Would Maduro be transported back to Venezuela? Would they even re-install him as president? Would he be given a lollipop and a pat on the back for his troubles?
On the contrary, all of the Trump Administration’s unapologetically imperialist rhetoric indicates that—one way or another—they intend to convict the Maduros. This is not even mentioning that Maduro himself said he was not informed of his constitutional rights upon his arrest, and was only told them when the judge questioned him about it. But make no mistake—appeals to the constitution and international law are futile. If they existed for any other reason than to protect private property and the interests of imperialism, then the Venezuelan masses would not be forced to take up arms and defend their homeland. Clearly, however, this is not the case. Empty condemnations from the international community combined with forced justifications by the media sets a horrible precedent for what is to come regarding the Maduros’ trial.
Similarly, if you only paid attention to major media outlets, you would be left with the impression that the Venezuelan people are wholly against the Bolivarian regime. We are also often told to “listen to Venezuelan voices,” as if Venezuelans are a monolithic group for whom only their largely pro-regime change diaspora can speak for. However, I think the scenes in Venezuela since Maduro’s abduction speak for themselves.
Abolition Media reports that “thousands of men and women belonging to more than 5,000 communes gathered…with the aim of denouncing the ‘kidnapping’ of the constitutional president, Nicolas Maduro, and the first lady, Cilia Flores, by foreign powers.” Likewise, protests against war in Venezuela broke out all over the United States less than a day after Maduro and his wife were kidnapped.
Ultimately, whether or not the majority of the Venezuelan people support Maduro, while crucial to consider, is of secondary importance to what U.S. imperialism actually means for people both in the United States and Venezuela. America’s war in Venezuela is first and foremost about securing its vast oil reserves, and not about bringing “democracy” to the people there. The real struggle for democracy is here in the United States, and the real interests of workers, migrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community, African Americans, and any other oppressed peoples are directly in line with those of the Venezuelan victims of U.S. imperialism.
War spending is money taken right out of the average worker’s pocket. It diverts money away from Americans who struggle to afford housing, healthcare, food and clothing, and it directs that money toward furthering the interests of a select few oil monopolies. History teaches us that this is what will happen—that so long as capitalism exists, this is what must happen. The infamous “War on Terror,” for example, cost U.S. workers over $8 trillion dollars, a sum of money that could have ended world hunger dozens of times over.
Such is why labor unions, led by National Nurses United and United Electrical Workers, have issued condemnations of American imperialism’s brazen violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty. United Auto Workers Region 9A and Local 4811 similarly condemned the Trump Administration’s use of military force against Venezuela, and additional organizations like the San Francisco Labor Council and the May Day Strong Coalition echoed this widespread anti-war sentiment. The Chicago Teachers Union even immediately began to organize against U.S. aggression, calling a large anti-war demonstration in Chicago on Jan. 3, the day of the Maduros’ kidnapping.
This widespread solidarity with the people of Venezuela teaches us yet another lesson: the masses, united across continents in their struggle against imperialism, can never be defeated. Oil giants such as ConocoPhilips, ExxonMobil and Chevron, which have the most to gain with these acts of aggression, simultaneously dig their own grave by creating conditions that are ripe for rebellion.
Readers, if anything in this article speaks to you in any way, then I implore you to get organized. D.C. area organizations such as Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, Free DC, the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, DC for Palestine, Claudia Jones School, and others are key players in the local struggles against U.S. imperialism at home and abroad. They consistently agitate and educate for causes including D.C. self-determination and the abolition of ICE, and anyone who shares their goals should immediately join up with them. There is no better time than now to commit to the struggle against exploitation and oppression everywhere.
