On January 3rd, the trump administration launched an illegal military intervention in Venezuela with a bombardment of the country's capital city of Caracas and the kidnapping of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife. President trump has since made comments about annexing Greenland, and made threatening remarks against Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba. In response, Senator Rivera issued the following statement: 

"To state it plainly: the unilateral actions of trump defy U.S. and international law. This de facto war on Venezuela is illegal. Two things are true: Maduro is an authoritarian who has irreparably harmed his country. But it is also true that the United States has no business kidnapping the sitting head of state of any sovereign nation. 

The administration’s justification for this “intervention” echoes what has been spewed by past administrations to send U.S. troops to fight endless wars. Let us not forget the “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq that we still haven’t found. As history has shown us, U.S.-backed “regime change” rarely if ever benefits the people of the intervened country. But it certainly benefits the corporations that ultimately extract their wealth. So many Latin-American countries and territories including my homeland of Puerto Rico are enduring the consequences of similar US actions to this day.

Americans do not want or need our tax dollars going towards more endless war while we lose healthcare access and watch social services and safety nets crumble, all while billionaires and corporations get even wealthier.

Those of us who believe in the future of the people of Venezuela want real democracy led by Venezuelans and for this illegal intervention to cease."