Washington, Nov 8.- Highlight of the week: The U.S. Senate, controlled by the Republican Party, rejected a bipartisan resolution that sought to prevent Donald Trump's administration from taking any military action against Venezuela without Congressional approval.
The legislative initiative, led by Democratic Senators Tim Kaine and Adam Schiff, along with Republican Rand Paul, did not succeed. The vote was 49 to 51.
Last month, Trump announced that he authorized covert operations by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Venezuela under the pretext of curbing alleged illegal flows of migrants and drugs from the South American country.
The Republican administration has also conducted military strikes since September against alleged vessels used for drug trafficking in international waters off the Venezuelan coast, a campaign that has extended to the eastern Pacific near Colombia's coastline.
TRUMP AND THE "NARCO BOATS"
The first attack of this controversial campaign occurred on September 2. From the outset, the target was Venezuela, a nation Trump is attempting to link to drug trafficking.
Since then, there have been 17 attacks, the most recent on November 6, resulting in three deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities from similar strikes to 70.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted aerial images of the assault on social media platform X, claiming it occurred in international waters like the previous ones.
Experts and human rights organizations state that the deaths recorded from blowing up the vessels constitute extrajudicial executions, even if they are aimed at drug traffickers.
So far, U.S. military forces have destroyed at least 18 vessels (17 boats and one alleged narco-submarine), but the Trump administration has yet to provide the first concrete evidence linking its destroyed targets to drug trafficking or a threat to the United States.
The Pentagon has dangerously amassed soldiers and military resources in the Caribbean area, which Venezuelan authorities denounce as an intervention threat aimed at overthrowing the democratically elected president of that country, Nicolás Maduro, whose government is uncomfortable for Washington.
In statements to reporters before the Senate vote, Schiff asserted that the increase in U.S. military presence in the region "has much more to do with a possible regime change" than with trying to contain small vessels presumably dedicated to drug smuggling.
"And if that is the direction the government is heading, if that's what we are risking alongside a war, then Congress must be heard. This resolution gives Congress the power to say: if you believe a regime change is necessary, then you must go to Congress and say so," he argued.
Trump's administration told lawmakers on Wednesday that the United States is not planning to launch attacks within Venezuela and that it does not have legal justification for such actions.
However, an article in The New York Times dated November 4 warned that the White House has developed a series of options for possible military action in Venezuela, including direct attacks on military units protecting President Nicolás Maduro and measures to take control of the country's oil fields.
Curiously, Trump wants to attack Nigeria in the name of violating religious freedom. The West African nation, like South America, is rich—very rich—in oil.
