US Attack on Venezuela Sparks Concerns Over Trump's Authoritarian Tendencies.
In a recent radio interview, President Donald Trump claimed that the US had knocked out "a big facility" in Venezuela as part of his administration's pressure campaign to topple the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro. While Trump didn't provide further details about the supposed attack, he seemed to reference a facility involved in the drug trade or boat building.
The statement has sparked concerns over Trump's authoritarian tendencies and his administration's actions in Venezuela. One US official who spoke with The Intercept on condition of anonymity confirmed that the target was a "facility," but would not disclose its location or if it was actually attacked by the US, much less destroyed.
The Pentagon did not reply to repeated requests for comment on the strike. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not respond to a request for comment on the US official's contention that Trump's claim was "misleading."
Trump has publicly acknowledged he authorized CIA operations in Venezuela, but it's unclear which agency was involved in the alleged attack. The CIA spokesperson Lauren Camp told The Intercept, "We don't have any guidance for you."
Critics argue that the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings because the military is not permitted to deliberately target civilians – even suspected criminals – who do not pose an imminent threat of violence.
The US has been conducting attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, resulting in the deaths of over 100 civilians. Experts say the strikes are part of a broader effort to undermine Maduro's government, which has led to concerns about the erosion of democracy in Venezuela.
The Intercept has reported extensively on Trump's efforts to dismantle the free press and rebuild the information environment to his liking. Critics argue that this is part of a larger effort to create a post-truth America.
As The Intercept continues to cover authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world, it remains committed to press freedom in defending democracy. To do so effectively, we need to grow our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026 – that's where you come in.
In a recent radio interview, President Donald Trump claimed that the US had knocked out "a big facility" in Venezuela as part of his administration's pressure campaign to topple the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro. While Trump didn't provide further details about the supposed attack, he seemed to reference a facility involved in the drug trade or boat building.
The statement has sparked concerns over Trump's authoritarian tendencies and his administration's actions in Venezuela. One US official who spoke with The Intercept on condition of anonymity confirmed that the target was a "facility," but would not disclose its location or if it was actually attacked by the US, much less destroyed.
The Pentagon did not reply to repeated requests for comment on the strike. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not respond to a request for comment on the US official's contention that Trump's claim was "misleading."
Trump has publicly acknowledged he authorized CIA operations in Venezuela, but it's unclear which agency was involved in the alleged attack. The CIA spokesperson Lauren Camp told The Intercept, "We don't have any guidance for you."
Critics argue that the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings because the military is not permitted to deliberately target civilians – even suspected criminals – who do not pose an imminent threat of violence.
The US has been conducting attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, resulting in the deaths of over 100 civilians. Experts say the strikes are part of a broader effort to undermine Maduro's government, which has led to concerns about the erosion of democracy in Venezuela.
The Intercept has reported extensively on Trump's efforts to dismantle the free press and rebuild the information environment to his liking. Critics argue that this is part of a larger effort to create a post-truth America.
As The Intercept continues to cover authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world, it remains committed to press freedom in defending democracy. To do so effectively, we need to grow our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026 – that's where you come in.
I'm getting concerned about this US action on Venezuela 
It seems like they're justifying an attack without proof and without disclosing who was involved 
Trump's not being transparent at all, it's like he's trying to pull a fast one on us 
And let's be real, if it's an attack that doesn't even have confirmation from the Pentagon 
or the CIA 
then what exactly is going on? 
We're seeing more and more of these 'extrajudicial killings' which are basically just a fancy way of saying assassination 
It's not right that we can't even have an honest conversation about what's happening without someone getting shot or killed 
And the fact that he's trying to cover it up by saying "we knocked out a big facility" without giving any details is super sus 
. The US is always talking about being a beacon of freedom and democracy, but it seems like we're more into regime change and corporate interests 
. Can't believe how far we've strayed from our values 
and dont even get me started on the whole "i dont know anything" vibe from the CIA spokesperson lol like come on, you guys are supposed to be spies not journalists 
this is exactly why we need more fact-checking and media scrutiny!! 
my anxiety level just skyrocketed thinking about all the potential civilians who could've gotten hurt 
](https://i.imgur.com/LWw1fX2.png)
](https://giphy.com/gifs/trump-sad-2020/8nF5tRcCQK4Eo)
](https://giphy.com/gifs/venezuela-sinking-2020/KWuK6a4BvGtH7)
](https://i.imgur.com/Lf1n2mS.png)