Archiv: 16-12-2025 without congressional approval: US president orders de facto naval blockade on Venezuela and declares war on the country

12.01.2026 - 19:03 [ theHill.com ]

Cuba’s president says no current talks with the US following Trump’s threats

Díaz-Canel wrote that for “relations between the U.S. and Cuba to progress, they must be based on international law rather than hostility, threats, and economic coercion.”

He added: “We have always been willing to hold a serious and responsible dialogue with the various US governments, including the current one, on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect, principles of International Law, and mutual benefit without interference in internal affairs and with full respect for our independence.”

12.01.2026 - 18:59 [ CNN ]

Cuban leader says ‘no one dictates what we do’ as Trump tells regime to make a deal

Díaz-Canel was quick to reject external interference in Cuba’s affairs.

“Cuba does not aggress; it is aggressed upon by the United States for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood,” said Díaz-Canel.

In an apparent reference to Trump, he said those who turn everything into a business, “even human lives,” have no moral authority to point fingers at his country.

11.01.2026 - 19:06 [ AP News ]

With Cuban ally Maduro ousted, Trump warns Havana to make a ‘deal’ before it’s too late

Trump said on social media that Cuba long lived off Venezuelan oil and money and had offered security in return, “BUT NOT ANYMORE!”

“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump said in the post as he spent the weekend at his home in southern Florida. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” He did not explain what kind of deal.

08.01.2026 - 20:08 [ Fox5 Washington DC ]

Senate advances resolution to limit Trump’s ability to attack Venezuela

Big picture view:

Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote tally and ensure a later vote for final passage.

But Thursday’s successful vote is just the first step before the resolution officially passes. The Senate will have to take another vote, this time with the 60-vote filibuster threshold, before it becomes official.

08.01.2026 - 18:50 [ Reuters ]

US senators foresee vote on reining Trump in over Greenland

„You will see war powers resolutions introduced on Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, Greenland,“ Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democratic senator who has led several resolutions seeking to check U.S. presidents‘ use of military force without congressional approval.

„I just don‘t know who‘s necessarily going to be leading all of them, because I will likely be at least a co-sponsor and probably leading some,“ Kaine told reporters at a news conference ahead of a Senate vote expected on Thursday on whether to halt further military action in Venezuela without lawmakers‘ approval.

08.01.2026 - 17:44 [ PBS.org ]

WATCH LIVE: Senate expected to vote on war powers resolution to limit Trump after Venezuela raid

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is expected to vote on a resolution Thursday that would limit President Donald Trump‘s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, setting up a test for his expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.

The war powers resolution would require Trump to get congressional approval before striking Venezuela again, and it comes after the U.S. military seized the president of the South American country, Nicolás Maduro, in a surprise nighttime raid and as Trump‘s administration is seeking to control Venezuela‘s oil resources and its government.

08.01.2026 - 17:36 [ ABC News ]

Trump spoke to oil companies before Venezuela attack but didn‘t brief lawmakers, he says

Oil executives are set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday to discuss investments in Venezuela, a White House official confirmed to ABC News.

Trump previously said he spoke to U.S. oil companies prior to the raid on Venezuela, even as he said he opted to forego disclosure to members of Congress ahead of time due to concerns about possible leaks. The attack resulted in the removal of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro.

08.01.2026 - 17:31 [ Wall Street Journal ]

Trump Team Works Up Sweeping Plan to Control Venezuelan Oil for Years to Come

President Trump and his advisers are planning a sweeping initiative to dominate the Venezuelan oil industry for years to come, and the president has told aides he believes his efforts could help lower oil prices to his favored level of $50 a barrel, according to people familiar with the matter.

07.01.2026 - 19:18 [ kristv.com ]

War Powers Resolution heads to Senate as push to curb Venezuela actions grows

The Trump administration’s foreign-policy ambitions are triggering a renewed, bipartisan push on Capitol Hill to curb the president’s military authority, as questions swirl about what actions the United States may take next in Venezuela and whether other countries or their leaders could face a similar fate.

A key focus of the debate is a War Powers Resolution. A vote is expected Thursday in the Senate, and if it passes both chambers, it would prohibit President Donald Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela without explicit congressional authorization.

06.01.2026 - 21:02 [ Fox News ]

Kaine tells Congress to ‚get its a– off the couch,‘ reclaim war powers

Kaine argued on a call with reporters that Congress has the constitutional authority to weigh in on military action and was frustrated throughout Trump’s second term that the check and balance was being bowled over.

„It‘s time for Congress to get its a– off the couch and do what the Constitution mandates that we do — the Constitution we take an oath to,“ Kaine said over the weekend. „We have to put this before the American people, not just in private settings, but in public hearings by the key oversight committees, Intelligence, Armed Services, Foreign Relations in both houses, and explore whether the United States should enter into yet another war with unforeseen consequences.“

06.01.2026 - 20:58 [ RealClearPolitics.com ]

Sen. Chuck Schumer: Congress Must Pass War Powers Resolution To Stop Trump‘s „Lawlessness“ In Venezuela

(January 4, 2026)

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, what can the Congress do about it is the next question.

SCHUMER: Well, the next question is very simple, and that is that we have the War Powers Act. That‘s a privilege resolution, which means the Republicans can‘t block it.

Tim Kaine and I and Rand Paul are sponsors of it. It‘s going to come to the floor this week. And if it is voted for, if it‘s voted positively in both houses, then the president can‘t do another thing in Venezuela without the OK of Congress. We have to pass it.

06.01.2026 - 20:03 [ theHill.com ]

Senate to vote next week to block Trump’s military action against Venezuela

(January 3, 2026)

The resolution to block the administration from engaging in further hostilities against Venezuela is privileged, which means Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) cannot stop it from coming to the floor.

The measure is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

It needs only a simple majority to pass the Senate.

06.01.2026 - 19:57 [ ABC4.com ]

Salt Lake City protesters call on Congress to rein in presidential war powers

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A rally took place in Salt Lake City Monday. The protest was planned before the United States performed a military operation and took Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro into custody, but now, organizers said that it’s more relevant than ever.

The protesters called on Utah’s Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis to support the bipartisan War Powers Resolution in the Senate, which will be voted on this week. It would prohibit President Trump from launching additional hostilities against Venezuela without congressional approval.

06.01.2026 - 19:34 [ theIntercept.com ]

How Congress Blew All Their Chances to Stop Trump’s War With Venezuela

Since the Trump administration began striking alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean in September, there have been four failed votes on resolutions seeking to stop unauthorized attacks on either the boats strikes or Venezuelan soil. They all fell short.

Lawmakers are now preparing for another vote this week on a resolution in the Senate, their latest opportunity to pump the brakes.

03.01.2026 - 12:23 [ UltimasNoticias.com.ve ]

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demands proof of life for President Maduro after US attack

Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded proof of life from the US government for President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Deputy Cilia Flores, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

In a phone call to the state channel VTV, Rodríguez demanded an “immediate proof of life” from the US government and stressed that Maduro had warned about the US aggression motivated by the US‘s energy voracity.

03.01.2026 - 12:15 [ CNN ]

Venezuela president Maduro captured and flown out of country after US strikes, says Trump

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been captured and flown out of Venezuela after the US carried out a large scale strike on the capital city of Caracas, US President Donald Trump announced. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a GOP senator that Maduro will stand trial in the US.

03.01.2026 - 12:14 [ ForeignPolicy.com ]

Trump Says U.S. Forces Have Captured Venezuela’s Maduro

The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro early Saturday morning after a series of strikes on the South American country, U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a social media post.

Trump said on Truth Social that Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the Country” after a “large scale strike” that was executed in “conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.

01.01.2026 - 12:17 [ Antiwar.com ]

US Imposes More Venezuela Oil Sanctions on Four Companies and Four Tankers

The US Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four companies and their associated oil tankers for allegedly transporting Venezuelan oil as the Trump administration seeks to escalate its pressure on the country.

The new sanctions come after the US seized two tankers off the coast of Venezuela that were carrying Venezuelan oil, cargo that President Trump has said the US intends to keep, an action that amounts to outright theft.

01.01.2026 - 12:09 [ CNN ]

US military says at least eight killed in new strikes on alleged drug boats, with survivors abandoning ship

On New Year’s Eve, US Southern Command said the military struck two boats “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” killing five people.

The day before, Tuesday, the US struck what it described as a “convoy” of three boats participating in the trafficking of narcotics, SOUTHCOM announced in a post to X on Wednesday. Three people aboard one boat were killed, while those in the other two abandoned their vessel.

SOUTHCOM said it notified the US Coast Guard after Tuesday’s strike to activate search and rescue efforts. It’s unclear whether any survivors have been recovered.

24.12.2025 - 08:37 [ United Nations ]

Security Council Debates United States–Venezuela Standoff, as Calls Mount for Restraint

Yet, while Chile does not recognize the legitimacy of the Maduro regime, that country’s representative rejected any armed activity that could risk regional peace and stability. She also underlined the imperative of respecting international law, which, Brazil’s representative observed, includes the UN Charter’s prohibition against the threat or use of force. The United States’ activities are generating tensions in a region characterized by “stability and peaceful coexistence”, added Colombia’s representative, warning that military escalation not only heightens the risk of a broader conflict but also undermines collective efforts to prevent conflict and promote regional stability.

“History demonstrates that the threat or the use of force invariably leads to greater human suffering and the erosion of the international legal order,” observed Mexico’s representative. He underscored that, regardless of the country or region involved, “dialogue and negotiation are the only legitimate and effective ways of resolving — in the long run — existing differences”. Urging all parties to act with restraint, he added: “It is exclusively up to the Venezuelan people to determine [their country’s] political future.”

23.12.2025 - 18:59 [ United Nations Web TV ]

Threats to international peace and security – Security Council, 10080th meeting

Briefing on Venezuela

23.12.2025 - 18:38 [ cil.nus.edu.sg ]

1988 CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF UNLAWFUL ACTS AGAINST THE SAFETY OF MARITIME NAVIGATION

ARTICLE 3

1. Any person commits an offence if that person unlawfully and intentionally:

(a) seizes or exercises control over a ship by force or threat thereof or any other form of intimidation; or

(b) performs an act of violence against a person on board a ship if that act is likely to endanger the safe navigation of that ship; or

(c) destroys a ship or causes damage to a ship or to its cargo which is likely to endanger the safe navigation of that ship; or

(d) places or causes to be placed on a ship, by any means whatsoever, a device or
substance which is likely to destroy that ship, or cause damage to that ship or its cargo which endangers or is likely to endanger the safe navigation of that ship; or

(e) destroys or seriously damages maritime navigational facilities or seriously interferes with their operation, if any such act is likely to endanger the safe navigation of a ship; or

(f) communicates information which he knows to be false, thereby endangering the safe navigation of a ship; or

(g) injures or kills any person, in connection with the commission or the attempted
commission of any of the offences set forth in subparagraphs (a) to (f).

2. Any person also commits an offence if that person:

(a) attempts to commit any of the offences set forth in paragraph 1; or

(b) abets the commission of any of the offences set forth in paragraph 1 perpetrated by any person or is otherwise an accomplice of a person who commits such an offence; or

(c) threatens, with or without a condition, as is provided for under national law, aimed at compelling a physical or juridical person to do or refrain from doing any act, to commit any of the offences set forth in paragraph I, subparagraphs (b), (c) and (e), if that threat is likely to endanger the safe navigation of the ship in question.

(…)

ARTICLE 7

1. Upon being satisfied that the circumstances so warrant, any State Party in the territory of which the offender or the alleged offender is present shall, in accordance with its law, take him into custody or take other measures to ensure his presence for such time as is necessary to enable any criminal or extradition proceedings to be instituted.

2. Such State shall immediately make a preliminary inquiry into the facts, in accordance with its own legislation.

23.12.2025 - 18:16 [ Presidency.ucsb.edu ]

Message to the Senate Transmitting the International Convention and Protocol on Terrorist Acts at Sea

To the Senate of the United States:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, and the related Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf, signed at Rome on March 10, 1988. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Convention and Protocol.

The seizure of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985, and the murder of American passenger Leon Klinghoffer, demonstrated that no country, or form of transportation, is immune from the criminal savagery of those who engage in terrorist acts. This Convention is aimed at ensuring that those who engage in such acts on board or against ships engaged in navigation are brought to justice. The Protocol would do the same with respect to acts on or against fixed platforms on the continental shelf. Modeled on earlier conventions dealing with aircraft hijacking and sabotage (to which the United States is a party), they include provisions requiring States to provide severe punishment for such offenses, and to extradite or prosecute those who commit them.

Work on the Convention and Protocol began in 1986 under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization on the basis of an initial draft cosponsored by the Governments of Italy, Austria and Egypt. That work was completed, and the Convention and Protocol adopted by consensus, at an international conference in Rome in March 1988. The United States and 22 other States signed the Convention at that time, and the United States and 20 other States signed the Protocol. It is clear that the Convention already has broad support in the international community, and it is hoped that all States will join in this major step to deter acts against the safety of maritime navigation.

I recommend, therefore, that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to this Convention and Protocol and give its advice and consent to ratification.

RONALD REAGAN

The White House,

January 3, 1989.

23.12.2025 - 17:55 [ United Nations Security Council ]

10080th meeting – Threats to international peace and security

23.12.2025 - 17:50 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Vereinte Nationen: Venezuela-Eskalation ruft Sicherheitsrat auf den Plan

Der UN-Sicherheitsrat kommt heute zu einer Dringlichkeitssitzung zusammen, um über die Spannungen zwischen Venezuela und den USA zu beraten. Die Regierung in Caracas hatte die Sitzung mit Unterstützung Russlands und Chinas gefordert. Unterdessen wird auch die Rhetorik der US-Regierung gegenüber Venezuela immer deutlicher.

21.12.2025 - 14:13 [ UltimasNoticias.com.ve ]

Venezuela condemns second theft of oil tanker by the US

The Venezuelan government described the action as a serious act of piracy, noting that it constitutes the commission of the crime stipulated in Article 3 of the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation.

He also denounced the operation as a violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations, Article 2 of the Geneva Convention on the High Seas, and the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation between States.

(…)

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms that these acts will not go unpunished and will take all appropriate actions, including filing complaints with the United Nations Security Council, other multilateral organizations, and governments worldwide. International law will prevail, and those responsible for these grave acts will be held accountable before justice and history for their criminal conduct.

Caracas, December 20, 2025

21.12.2025 - 14:02 [ CNN ]

US seizes another vessel off Venezuela as Trump administration ramps up pressure on Caracas

The US seized a large oil tanker called the Skipper, which had been under sanctions for its ties to Iran, on December 10.

While Trump’s directive this week targeted sanctioned tankers, the vessel the US seized Saturday is not under US sanctions, the official said. The seizure wasn’t contested by the tanker’s crew.

The vessel was a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, according to the official, and was ultimately destined for Asia.

18.12.2025 - 08:05 [ Trinidad and Tobago Guardian ]

Not in that: PM says T&T not involved in US blockade against Venezuela

“They have asked for no assistance about blockading in Venezuela, no, they have not,” Persad-Bissessar said after attending the funeral for former colleague Daphne Phillips.

(,,,)

When asked about Trinidad and Tobago’s position should any US military strikes occur, Persad-Bissessar stressed that the Government’s priority is to keep the country safe. She made it clear that T&T has no aggressive intent towards Venezuela.

“T and T first, that will always be our position. We have no intention of engaging in any war with Venezuela. I’ve always said we stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and we will continue so to do.”

Nachrichtenagentur Radio Utopie