Democrats in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District criticized President Donald Trump’s surprise Saturday morning attack on Venezuela that resulted in the arrest and extradition of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” the mission involved tactical airstrikes on Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, to capture Maduro and his wife and ultimately transport them to New York City, where Maduro faces federal drugs, weapons and narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. He pleaded not guilty to all charges Monday.
In a Saturday afternoon post on X, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) wrote that the operation, for which Trump did not seek or obtain Congressional authorization, was “carried out without Congress and in violation of international law.”
“Simply put, this is about oil and enriching himself and his billionaire donors,” Schakowsky wrote. “The American people don’t want another war for oil.”
At a Saturday morning news conference following the attack, Trump said the U.S. is “going to run” the South American nation until a “proper transition can take place” and will begin selling its oil assets.
Some Democratic politicians, including several candidates running to replace Schakowsky, called for Trump’s impeachment after the operation.
Progressive content creator Kat Abughazaleh, who has emerged as a frontrunner in the crowded race, condemned Trump in an early Saturday morning post on Bluesky, accusing him of starting an “unconstitutional war of aggression” and calling on Congress to “exercise its power, halt this conflict, and impeach this war criminal president.”
Later on Saturday, other candidates echoed her sentiment.
Skokie school board member Bushra Amiwala (Kellogg ’25) labeled Trump’s plan for Venezuela “an occupation” and called for his impeachment in a video posted on X.
State Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) wrote that Saturday’s developments were “the latest American overreach in a long and ugly history of U.S. imperialism in Latin America” in a news release. He also expressed support for Trump’s impeachment.
Mayor Daniel Biss posted on X twice Saturday, first calling on Congress to “reassert its war powers authority immediately to halt further military action before we’re pulled further into another senseless war” and later indicating his support for Trump’s impeachment.
In a statement posted on X Saturday afternoon, State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) wrote that “Maduro is a tyrant who has caused immense harm to his people” but maintained that “a reckless president using an unauthorized military operation isn’t the solution.”
In a Sunday afternoon email to The Daily, a spokesperson for Fine’s campaign wrote she supports Congress “using every tool at its disposal, from impeachment to curbing the president’s war powers” in response to Saturday’s strike.
Email: [email protected]
X: @jdowb2005
Related Stories:
— ‘Mob-like extortion’: Democrats slam Northwestern deal, clashing with GOP praise
— Poll shows Abughazaleh, Biss tied in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District Democratic primary
