A narrow bipartisan vote in the upper chamber has reopened the debate over who decides matters of war in the United States, following the surprise military operation in Venezuela and amid growing concerns about the president’s foreign ambitions.
According to a statement by Donald Trump on social media, United States armed forces and security personnel carried out military operations in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The U.S. boarded a second oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, which, according to sources quoted by Axios, was not sanctioned, unlike Skipper, which was seized on December 10.
Donald Trump confirmed that US forces confiscated a “large oil tanker” off the coast of Venezuela. The operation, initially revealed by Bloomberg, represents a significant escalation in the bilateral conflict and threatens to further complicate Venezuelan crude exports, at a time of increasing military pressure and sanctions. The incident coincides with the day María Corina Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize.
This Saturday saw a significant escalation in tensions between the United States and Venezuela, marked by a post on X from President Donald Trump in which he declared that Venezuelan airspace was “totally closed” to airlines, pilots, traffickers, and other operations.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Monday requested “clarity, dialogue, and flexibility” following the temporary suspension of flights in Venezuela. This came after the country’s aeronautical authority announced an ultimatum for the resumption of flight frequencies, warning that failure to comply would result in the suspension of traffic rights.
Turkish Airlines announced on Sunday that it is canceling its flights to Venezuela between November 24 and 28, joining five other airlines that have also temporarily suspended their operations due to the US military escalation in the Caribbean.
Over three months after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the use of military force against Latin American drug cartels, the Pentagon has deployed an impressive array of Navy and Air Force assets in the Southern Command, now including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
A War Powers Resolution to halt attacks on Venezuela without congressional approval was rejected in a close vote on Thursday, with 49 senators in favour and 51 against.
Trump administration officials told Congress that the U.S. is not currently planning to launch strikes inside Venezuela, and that it does not have a legal justification to support such attacks against any land targets, according to sources familiar with the briefing as first reported by CNN.
