Socialist Group Condemns US Military Operation in Venezuela, Demands Maduro’s Return to Power

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the nation’s largest socialist organization, has issued a scathing rebuke of the recent U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple was apprehended on January 3, 2026, on sweeping narcotics charges as part of what President Donald Trump described as a successful military strike.

In a statement released Saturday, the DSA condemned the operation as “a nakedly imperialist war to install a US puppet government that will give Venezuela’s oil resources over to US corporations and to force US hegemony over Latin America.” The group characterized the action as illegal under both international law and U.S. regulations governing war declarations.

President Trump confirmed that the operation was completed without American casualties or damage to military equipment. During a Saturday press conference at Mar-a-Lago, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump praised the military’s execution of the mission, describing U.S. forces as “the strongest and most fearsome military on the planet.”

Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, faces accusations of collaborating with cartels and narco gangs throughout South America and Mexico to distribute millions of pounds of cocaine to the United States. The charges against him stem from indictments issued nearly six years ago, alleging drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.

The DSA has rejected these allegations, stating, “There is no substantiated evidence that high-level members of the Venezuelan government are ‘narco-terrorists.'” The group further claimed the operation had “nothing to do with drug trafficking” but was instead “another regime-change war to steal another country’s oil, just like the failed war against Iraq.”

Following the capture, the DSA published a list of seven demands, including the return of Maduro and his wife to Venezuela, an end to the “war on drugs,” termination of all military operations in the Caribbean, and the withdrawal of forces deployed by the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

The operation has exposed political fault lines in the United States. Left-wing leaders connected to the DSA, including newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have publicly opposed the action. Mamdani revealed he had spoken directly with President Trump to “register my opposition to this act” based on concerns about regime change and violations of international law.

The DSA enjoys support from prominent progressive lawmakers, including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who have received the organization’s endorsements in previous elections. However, their positions on this specific military action remain unclear.

Maduro and his wife are currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, with Maduro scheduled for arraignment Monday afternoon. The operation has sparked protests near the White House, with demonstrators rallying against what they perceive as U.S. intervention in Venezuelan affairs.

Republican lawmakers have largely supported the operation. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas praised the action, stating, “Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation.”

Meanwhile, moderate Democrats have criticized the administration for failing to notify Congress before the attack, questioning the legal justification for the military action.

The capture represents a significant foreign policy move in Trump’s second term, following his campaign promises to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. Since returning to office, his administration has implemented tariffs on countries like China over fentanyl production and conducted maritime operations targeting suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.