FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 04, 2026
Contact: Pablo DeJesús | info@uusj.org
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UUSJ Condemns Assault on Venezuela’s Sovereignty
War, fueled by avarice, is immoral and unlawful without Congressional authorization
Washington, DC – On Saturday, January 3, 2026, President Trump announced military action against Venezuela and subsequently the intent to run the country.
In response, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) made the following announcement.
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Pablo DeJesús, Executive Director, UUSJ, stated: “In the actions by President Trump, and his administration, we see a belief that ‘might makes right,’ a ‘mandate to meddle,’ a gateway to ‘ceaseless intervention,’ and the glimmers of ‘endless war.’ We name the harms of U.S. style white ‘supremacy’ and imperialist ‘entitlement’ as well as an inclination toward autocracy, bound up in their use of Unitary Executive Theory. We reject the linkage between the ‘War on Drugs’ and the ‘War on Terrorism,’ and we brace for its leverage domestically—the suppression of our right to peacefully assemble in protest, as critics of public policy and decision making by our elected leaders.
Even as some expatriates celebrate, we hold in compassion and concern the victims of this assault on Venezuela’s sovereignty. We reaffirm their dignity. We reiterate our belief in self-determination and self-governance in this, our 250th year as a republic. Our version of democracy and evolution toward a more perfect union requires us once again to ask Unitarian Universalists to show Faithful Defiance of Authoritarianism: Reaffirming Our Covenant for Democracy and Freedom (2025).
The President’s unilateral unauthorized military strikes in Venezuela, including the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were a clear act of war, even if cloaked in the mantle of police action. In our view, this military strike flouted the Constitution’s delegation of war-making authority to Congress. Without their explicit prior consent, these actions in Venezuela demonstrate a willingness to operate in procedurally and morally questionable ways. Unlawful ways. A disposition showcased throughout the administration’s first year.
Congress did not declare war. Americans do not want war. The people of Venezuela do not want war. Neither do their neighbors in the Caribbean and Latin America. Few, if any, globally, welcome a United States on a war footing. The implications are far-reaching and terrible. Narco-terrorism as the basis of police action, or war activity, is a thin red herring that links the Trump administration to the Nixon administration and distracts from domestic political and policy goals.
This irresponsible attack and ongoing effort to install political surrogates and fossil fuel corporate supporters are part of a long-standing and deplorable pattern of U.S. neo-colonialism. Where our military might is used to enforce corporate agendas, particularly for fossil fuels, critical resources, and agribusiness, it represents the furtherance of an extractivist agenda with significant repercussions for the nations of the Americas and others in the global south.
Let us be clear, citing claims of drug running and authoritarianism, the Trump administration took actions of war toward Venezuela following an established strategy: undermining oppositional governments, heightening tensions, sensitizing the American public to extraordinary action, instigating instability abroad, positioning extractive corporate actors for profit, dismissing the hypocrisy of undemocratic process, and daring the international community of nations to object.
These actions in Venezuela weren’t about human rights or democracy, nor about the production or distribution of drugs. Instead, they were about the opportunity for profit among powerful multinational fossil fuel corporations and other corporate actors. It is about divvying up one of the globe’s richest oil territories. It is about the chance for enrichment among oligarchic and plutocratic actors in the U.S.
Our faith teaches us to cherish the democratic process and justice, along with the sacredness of life and a love for flourishing. We therefore call on Congress and international actors to oppose U.S. regime change in Venezuela. We urge Congress to exercise its constitutional war powers and halt further military action or violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty. We ask members of Congress to reject profiteering on behalf of corporate actors.”
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Established in 1999, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice is a network of Unitarian Universalist individuals and congregations that lifts up the light of reason, the warmth of community, and the flame of hope to advance equitable national policies and actions aligned with UU values through witness, education, and advocacy. We envision a just, compassionate, and sustainable world community. Follow us on X@UUSJ