Venezuela

“We have had the violation of international law, the U.N. charter, the violation of the territorial integrity of Venezuela, and the kidnapping of a sitting head of state, without going to Congress, without telling Congress beforehand,” said Heather Brandon-Smith, the legislative director of foreign policy for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. “Everything here is extraordinarily illegal, and Congress has a mechanism to stop it through voting for these war powers resolutions.”

IT IS A fundamental concept of justice that someone suspected of a crime should receive due process: Knowledge of their alleged offense. The ability to plead their case. A fair trial.

Washington, D.C. – The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) strongly condemns the U.S. government’s attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. This is a deeply immoral and unjust escalation of President Trump’s campaign of violence against Venezuela. It is an unauthorized act of war in violation of both domestic and international law. President Trump’s claim that the United States will “run the country” following this attack is deeply concerning and a clear violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.

After decades of advocacy from FCNL’s network and the broader peace movement, the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq has finally been repealed!

This is a major win for peace — and an important milestone in our advocacy efforts to urge Congress to reclaim its constitutional war powers and end endless wars.

Since September 2025, the administration has been blowing up boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, deliberately killing people outside of war, in an illegal use of military force.

This week, we joined 130 organizations in denouncing the Trump administration’s bigoted and cruel scapegoating of immigrant communities in the wake of the Nov. 26 attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

After 43 days, President Trump signed legislation on Wednesday officially ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Our country’s broader moral reckoning continues.

The reopening of the government is good news, bringing much needed relief to those impacted.

Yet, we are dismayed that the legislation fails to address two crucial issues: Surging healthcare prices for millions and President Trump’s authoritarian efforts to usurp Congress’s constitutional spending power.

Last night, the Senate narrowly failed to pass a War Powers Resolution to block President Trump from launching an unauthorized war against Venezuela.

President Trump is escalating boat strikes near Venezuela without ruling out hitting targets in the country. Lawmakers are warning the U.S. may be drifting toward war without a clear justification.