The Senate took a significant step by voting to advance a bipartisan resolution under the War Powers Act, aiming to block President Trump from using military force against Venezuela. This move comes amid escalating tensions and the president’s clear intentions regarding the South American nation, actions that progressive Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has absolutely slammed as “old-fashioned imperialism,” as per The Hill.
The president has been very open about his intentions in the aftermath of the capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. President Trump stated the U.S. will essentially run the country until a stable, orderly transition can occur. Even more controversially, the president has indicated that U.S. oil companies will take control of Venezuela’s vital petroleum infrastructure.
Sanders drew comparisons to evil, powerful regimes in history. “You’re talking about old-fashioned imperialism,” Sanders explained. “And all that that is, throughout the history of the world — England, Spain, Portugal, way back when — powerful nations went into poor, undeveloped areas, and just exploited their resources.”
Sanders stated the obvious, but does the current administration and its jingoism have any limits?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently confirmed just how close the administration is to executing their plan. He told reporters on Capitol Hill that a deal is nearly finalized to sell between 30 million and 50 barrels of Venezuelan oil on the open market. The proceeds from this sale would then be used to assist in the nation’s transition to a new government.
This is where the administration says it’s helping the Venezuelan people, but it’s certainly a unique form of aid. Rubio clarified how the finances would work: “We’re going to sell in the marketplace — at market rates, not at the discounts that Venezuela was getting. That money will then be handled in such a way that we will control how it’s dispersed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people.”
The rhetoric isn’t just focused on Venezuela, either. The president has also threatened action in other countries across the Western Hemisphere, specifically calling out U.S. allies Colombia and Mexico, claiming they aren’t adequately addressing drug trafficking issues. The president also claimed that the communist government in Cuba is “ready to fall.”
For Sanders, this entire approach flies in the face of a century-long movement throughout Latin America to push back on U.S. intervention. He argues that the region has worked hard to say, “These are our countries. You can’t overthrow our governments, you can’t run our governments, you can’t steal our natural resources. We have to control our own future.” The Vermont progressive concluded that President Trump is basically saying, “To hell with all of that. We have the power, we’re going to do anything we want.”
The bipartisan resolution to block military force was advanced with the support of the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, which is expected, but also five Republicans. Unsurprisingly, President Trump quickly condemned the senators who voted for the resolution, arguing they should not be reelected.
Published: Jan 9, 2026 01:30 pm