The following statement was released on the evening of 3 January 2026, in the moments between Maduro’s abduction and the Trump administration’s declaration of responsibility for the attack. It is published here, with a few updates, for the record.
Early reports indicate that the bombing of Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas, is the doing of the blood-soaked US empire. We oppose this murderous imperialist aggression in absolute terms.
Consecutive USA administrations have laid the groundwork for this heinous assault, through bipartisan attempts to install Guaido as a US puppet, the rehabilitation of frothing-at-the-mouth warmonger María Machado, and recent acts of piracy and psychotic double-tap slaughters by the Trump administration. None of this has worked. The Venezuelan people are not interested in a US invasion or violent regime change.
Whatever comes in the days to follow, the US must be absolutely condemned. The working class in the USA would be correct to mobilise en masse, to condemn its ruling class, and to sabotage its military however possible. The motivations behind this attack must be articulated clearly: This assault on Venezuela is no random display of power, but unfortunately a mostly coherent piece of the Trump administration’s strategic reorientation towards a new Monroe Doctrine, staking an imperialist claim over all of the Americas while it is atrophying at its periphery.
Contrary to well-meaning but confused refrains, the US does not need to invade Venezuela for oil (though it would surely enjoy greater access). Due to sanctions and economic crises in Venezuela, triggered by prior downturns in the oil market and subsequent hyperinflation, Venezuela has been forced open to foreign oil ownership through Chevron. The Trump administration is sending a message that any Latin American nations that do not fall in line with US hegemony through non-violent means, will see US policy come knocking through air strikes and violent destabilisation.
Socialists and others have been warning for two years that this would come to pass. If the USA’s favourite attack dog, Israel, is allowed to commit genocide with absolute impunity, international acts of might-through-force will become further normalised and blood will be traded for geopolitical control.
We have no love for Maduro’s administration. Its failings cannot all be explained away by CIA meddling, pernicious as that meddling may be. His government is undemocratic, propped up by the military, capital, and an obviously fraudulent election. His administration, furthermore, is maintaining control by incarcerating trade unionists and other dissenters. Those workers get our solidarity against Maduro’s government. That said, in a conflict between the global imperialist USA and the imperialised Venezuela, we support Venezuela absolutely. If the US was to succeed in Venezuela, we can expect his other targets, Cuba, Sheinbaum’s Mexico and Petro’s Colombia, to be next on the list.
Venezuelans are correct to resist the US by any means necessary. Solidarity with the working class of Venezuela! Solidarity with Venezuela against the USA!
