U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned President Donald Trump's decision to launch strikes on Venezuela and capture Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of recklessly endangering American lives for geopolitical gain. The Democrat warned the operation likened to past interventions like Panama 1989 could spiral into full conflict amid Caracas explosions and Maduro's emergency declaration.
Schumer highlighted lack of congressional approval for Operation Absolute Resolve, echoing legal experts questioning Trump's unilateral authority post-Truth Social boasts of U.S. oversight until "safe transition." Critics decry oil seizure motives 300 billion barrels targeted via PDVSA control contrasting GOP defenses tying it to narco-terrorism indictments revived since 2020.
Vice President JD Vance justified the raid as fugitive pursuit, but Democrats fear escalation mirroring Iraq 2003 amid Russian/Iranian condemnations and Venezuela's full military mobilization. Trump's Mar-a-Lago briefing looms as markets jitter over oil spikes, paralleling Nigeria's NGX surge and Fidelity transitions signaling global economic ripples.
Maduro's New York arrival faces life sentences, while Delcy Rodríguez rallies UN intervention; opposition hails regime change opportunity post-2024 fraud claims. Schumer's war alert underscores Latin tensions, contrasting China's tourism boom and Uzbekistan outreach as stable contrasts to intervention volatility.