Two Caribbean-born community activists in New York on Sunday, Jan. 4, strongly denounced President Donald J. Trump’s military strikes in Venezuela early Saturday. They also condemned the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his extradition to New York to face charges of narco-trafficking.
Maduro and his wife were expected to be arraigned in a US federal court in Manhattan on Monday.
Maduro and his wife were expected to be arraigned in a US federal court in Manhattan on Monday.
Grenadian Martin Felix and Jamaican Delroy Wright, both Brooklyn residents, told Caribbean Life that Trump’s actions do not bode well for the region.
“The long-standing Caribbean people’s aspiration to remain a zone of peace is now under threat from the Trump doctrine. This doctrine places oil profits above people and normalizes confrontation in the region,” Felix said. “US actions toward Venezuela signal a dangerous new phase. This is reinforced by the so-called Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, defined by bullying, unilateralism, overt regime-change, and economic coercion.”
“The long-standing Caribbean people’s aspiration to remain a zone of peace is now under threat from the Trump doctrine. This doctrine places oil profits above people and normalizes confrontation in the region,” Felix said. “US actions toward Venezuela signal a dangerous new phase. This is reinforced by the so-called Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, defined by bullying, unilateralism, overt regime-change, and economic coercion.”
“This approach undermines both international stability and the rule of law. It disregards the constitutional requirement that only Congress may authorize war,” he added. “Such practices erode legal norms and directly challenge the Caribbean’s right to peace, sovereignty, and non-militarization.”
“We need a strong CARICOM (Caribbean Community) now more than ever, if ever we are to survive this existential threat to the region,” Felix continued. “Now more than ever, we need to revive the unifying principles enshrined in the Treaty of Chaguaramas.”
Wright lamented that if the proposed Caribbean Federation in the late 1960s had materialized, it would have been more difficult for Trump to intervene militarily in the region.
“Now, here we are, that Trump believes it’s ok for him to do as he pleases in the Caribbean — (allegedly) aided and abetted by a few self-serving Heads of State — mainly the Trinidadian and Guyanese Presidents— to invade Venezuela and extract its president,” he said. “If we had a federation, it would not be so easy for Trump or any foreign leaders to do so. Our country would not only be a sovereign nation; it would be a sovereign federation — a collective.
“Now, here we are, that Trump believes it’s ok for him to do as he pleases in the Caribbean — (allegedly) aided and abetted by a few self-serving Heads of State — mainly the Trinidadian and Guyanese Presidents— to invade Venezuela and extract its president,” he said. “If we had a federation, it would not be so easy for Trump or any foreign leaders to do so. Our country would not only be a sovereign nation; it would be a sovereign federation — a collective.
“And so, you can trace this back to the failed federation,” he added. “It created a weak regional economy that failed to attract future leaders or the kind of think tank to put policies in place to build up a barrier against infiltration or invasion.”
Wright charged that Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar “not only empowered Trump to invade Venezuela, but she also made every Caribbean nation susceptible to being invaded.
“Kamla should be ashamed!” he declared.
On Saturday, Caribbean-American Democratic U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke strongly condemned what she described as Trump’s “unauthorized” military strikes in Venezuela and the US military’s capture of Maduro.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life that Trump acted without congressional authorization in conducting military strikes in Venezuela, and forcefully and unilaterally causing “regime change by seizing President Nicolás Maduro.
“In a brazen affront to the rule of law and the US Constitution and without any rational consideration of the grave consequences that will inevitably follow, in the dead of night, Donald Trump has plunged the United States into yet another dangerous foreign entanglement by unleashing direct military strikes upon Venezuela’s capital and capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife,” said Clarke, who also chairs the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
“For years, Maduro’s authoritarian rule has oppressed Venezuelans and weakened their country. He was a despot with no regard for his own nation. His people have endured extreme hardship, political unrest, uncertainty, and instability under his leadership — so much so that many took great risks to seek asylum behind our borders,” she added.
“However, this is not a case of the ends justifying the means.
“Despite this military operation and considering Donald Trump’s comments in its aftermath, it has become crystal clear that toppling Maduro for narco-trafficking was far from the primary reason the administration engaged militarily with Venezuela,” Clarke continued. “This reckless and non-congressionally sanctioned regime change was driven not by national security, but by the pursuit of oil riches. This action has no place in US foreign policy. It is an illegal and illegitimate doctrine of extreme aggression sanctioned solely by the executive branch.”
“Despite this military operation and considering Donald Trump’s comments in its aftermath, it has become crystal clear that toppling Maduro for narco-trafficking was far from the primary reason the administration engaged militarily with Venezuela,” Clarke continued. “This reckless and non-congressionally sanctioned regime change was driven not by national security, but by the pursuit of oil riches. This action has no place in US foreign policy. It is an illegal and illegitimate doctrine of extreme aggression sanctioned solely by the executive branch.”
The U.S. Rep. noted that since the Trump administration first initiated strikes in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, under the guise of averting narco-trafficking, “Americans have overwhelmingly opposed these illegal military actions and have rightly already rejected this unhinged escalation.”
She said Trump “lacked both the righteousness and the constitutional respect to bring his war before Congress.
“Had he done so, I would have voted no,” she declared. “This impulsive interventionism does not make Americans safer; it leaves our global reputation in tatters and further destabilizes an already volatile region and our South American and Caribbean relations.
“Worse still, Donald Trump has now threatened a lasting US occupation of Venezuela and refuses to rule out a significant presence of American troops on the ground,” Clarke added.
“Worse still, Donald Trump has now threatened a lasting US occupation of Venezuela and refuses to rule out a significant presence of American troops on the ground,” Clarke added.
“The Venezuelan people deserve their chance at freedom. They do not wish to substitute their dictator with America’s.
“The Trump administration’s actions today will only serve to embolden and implicitly endorse our adversaries to carry out their own military aggressions against sovereign nations, eroding international norms and the rule of law,” she continued. “They have also paved the way for further interventions by Donald Trump and his enablers.”
Clarke warned that Trump’s “imperial pursuits will not end with Venezuela.
“The Trump administration’s actions today will only serve to embolden and implicitly endorse our adversaries to carry out their own military aggressions against sovereign nations, eroding international norms and the rule of law,” she continued. “They have also paved the way for further interventions by Donald Trump and his enablers.”
Clarke warned that Trump’s “imperial pursuits will not end with Venezuela.
“If left unchecked, more illegal military aggressions loom just over our horizon,” she said. “They will, undoubtedly, come at great cost to American lives, resources, and moral standing.”
The CBC, under Clarke’s leadership, also said separately that Trump’s decision to bypass Congress and conduct a military operation to capture Maduro and bring him to the United States to stand trial is “a grave and illegal abuse of power.
The CBC, under Clarke’s leadership, also said separately that Trump’s decision to bypass Congress and conduct a military operation to capture Maduro and bring him to the United States to stand trial is “a grave and illegal abuse of power.
“It is also indefensible that President Trump would choose to funnel taxpayer dollars into unauthorized military action in Venezuela for the expressed interest of oil, rather than addressing the urgent needs of millions of Americans struggling with rising health care costs,” the CBC said.
“While Nicolás Maduro is, in fact, an illegitimate leader, the deployment of US military power to impose political change in a sovereign nation — without the consent of Congress or a clear and defined plan of action—threatens to draw the United States into an indefinite conflict in Venezuela,” it added. “We cannot understate the severity of the consequences that could follow from such reckless actions, which threaten regional stability and weaken our standing on the world stage.”
Moreover, the CBC said Trump’s stated intention to assume control over Venezuela is “wholly unacceptable”, calling on the administration, “without hesitation, to provide comprehensive briefings to the Gang of Eight, as well as to all Members of the House and Senate.”
The “Gang of Eight” (“G8”) in the US Congress refers to a small, bipartisan group of top-ranking leaders and intelligence committee chairs who obtain sensitive classified briefings from the president and his administration, ensuring important national security information is shared while restricting access to only essential legislators.
“G8” members normally include the US Senate majority/minority leaders, House of Representatives’ speaker/minority leader, and the chairs/ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
“G8” members normally include the US Senate majority/minority leaders, House of Representatives’ speaker/minority leader, and the chairs/ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
On Saturday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, also of New York, denounced Trump’s announced plan to run Venezuela as “unacceptable.”
“It is critical that the Trump administration provide an immediate ‘Gang of Eight’ briefing, followed by briefings for all members of the House and Senate early next week,” they urged in a joint statement.
“It is critical that the Trump administration provide an immediate ‘Gang of Eight’ briefing, followed by briefings for all members of the House and Senate early next week,” they urged in a joint statement.
Jeffries, who represents the 8th Congressional District in New York, encompassing parts of Brooklyn and Queens, told Caribbean Life separately that while “Maduro is a criminal and authoritarian dictator who has oppressed the people of Venezuela for years, Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect democratic norms in the United States.”
