WASHINGTON, Jan 4 : Former US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday strongly criticised President Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela, calling it “unlawful and unwise” and accusing him of pursuing “regime change for oil” while seeking to play the role of a “regional strongman”.
“Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable,” Harris said, arguing that the operation risks repeating past US interventions sold as strength but ending in instability.
Harris acknowledged that Venezuelan President Nicol?s Maduro is a “brutal, illegitimate dictator,” but said that does not provide justification to the US action. “That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise,” she said. “The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to.”
While rejecting the Trump administration’s argument of pursuing the operation due to drugs or democracy, she said, “This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman,” Harris said. She added that if Trump truly cared about either issue, “he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.”
Harris warned that the operation could destabilise the region and endanger US forces. “The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home,” she said.
In a post on X, Harris said the United States needs leadership focused on domestic priorities. “America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and, most importantly, putting the American people first,” she wrote.
Harris, who contested the most recent presidential election against Trump, reiterated that the Venezuela operation lacked a clear legal basis and a defined exit strategy.
Her remarks came hours after Trump addressed reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence following the early-morning US strike on Venezuela, announcing that the United States would take control of the country’s vast oil reserves.
Venezuela holds an estimated 303 billion barrels of crude oil, nearly one-fifth of the world’s proven reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
(UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
