The Progressive Caucus was the main driving force behind this proposal and has been critical of the current administration’s forceful and punitive approach. Photograph: Social media
Guacamaya, September 26, 2025. An initiative introduced in Congress by Representative Ilhan Omar questions the airstrikes and military actions of the United States in the Caribbean, arguing that they violate the Constitution and international law. Various voices warn of the risk of a catastrophic war with Venezuela.
Members of the Democratic Party brought a resolution to the United States Congress that has generated strong controversy: it seeks to prevent President Donald Trump from deploying military operations against Venezuela without the explicit authorization of the legislative branch. The proposal is led by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, widely known for her progressive agenda, and demands that the White House obtain Congressional approval before using military force against vessels in international waters or against Venezuelan ships.
“The President claims the authority to kill people outside of armed conflicts and without due process,” warned Annie Shiel, U.S. Director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict. According to her, “the recent airstrikes in the Caribbean are illegal executions in peacetime, not war. Representative Omar’s leadership in forcing an end to these illegal strikes is critical. Every other member of the House should join her.”
Criticism is also rising from political analysis organizations. Alex Main, Director of International Policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, pointed out that “the Trump administration seems determined to drag the United States into a war with Venezuela.” He denounced that, among “the extrajudicial killings of Venezuelan citizens, the threat of drone attacks on Venezuelan territory, and the buildup of military equipment in the region, Trump has disproven his claims of being ‘anti-war’ and has firmly aligned himself with the neoconservative camp.” Main added that this strategy prolongs “years of efforts to achieve regime change in Venezuela by other means, including sweeping economic sanctions that have devastated the Venezuelan economy and fueled a humanitarian crisis, causing the migration of millions of Venezuelans.” For him, “a war with Venezuela would be catastrophic for both the Venezuelan people and the United States, and would do nothing to resolve the drug crisis in our country.”
In the same vein, Erik Sperling, Executive Director of Just Foreign Policy, emphasized that “the American people, across the political spectrum, do not want their tax dollars funding unauthorized regime-change wars abroad.” He stressed that “Americans thank Representative Omar and other congressmembers who insist on defending the Constitution: war must be authorized by Congress after debate and a vote, not unilaterally dictated by the same neoconservative fanatics responsible for promoting one disastrous regime change after another.”
