WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement following President Trump’s illegal military strikes on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

In a statement, Rep. Frost says:

“What President Trump is doing in Venezuela is illegal, dangerous, and outside the bounds of his constitutional authority. No President can unilaterally drag our nation into a war without congressional authorization — and his claim that the United States is now “going to run the country” of Venezuela until a so-called “proper transition” takes place is unacceptable and unconstitutional. History has shown us that these regime change wars end up with more dead, all to benefit mega-corporations.

“President Trump thinks that Maduro is a big enough problem to take illegal actions in Venezuela, but not a big enough problem to provide Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status. He’s willing to risk American and Venezuelan lives for political gain, but refuses to extend a critical legal lifeline to families fleeing the very crisis he claims to oppose.

“This is a moment that carries many feelings across the Venezuelan diaspora. Nicolás Maduro was a brutal dictator and an authoritarian. He has repressed, jailed, disappeared, and murdered his people for over a decade. I stand against authoritarianism, no matter the nation.

“I shed no tears for Maduro’s loss of power. But I do shed tears for the destruction of our own democracy. Authoritarians like Donald Trump will always seek justification to break the law in order to start foreign wars for unclear reasons. Congress cannot give him an inch, or there will be much more reckless behavior that endangers lives and allows him to consolidate more power.

“Congress must immediately vote on a War Powers Resolution to stop Trump’s illegal actions.”

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