Dear John,
This week, we witnessed a deeply concerning escalation in U.S.-Venezuela relations when the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike on a vessel in the southern Caribbean, resulting in 11 deaths. In turn, the Venezuelan authoritarian government has sustained repression, carrying out new detentions and forced disappearances, and increased military and militia presence in the country. In this complicated context, WOLA moved quickly to respond to this unprecedented development.
Our statement raises critical concerns about this action from the U.S. administration, particularly regarding international law and what represents an unprecedented escalation of the so-called "war on drugs." The implications of this strike extend far beyond the immediate incident, setting a dangerous precedent for military intervention in the region.
This strike comes amid a broader pattern of escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States. At the end of last month, the U.S. deployed eight warships to the Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela, marking a significant military buildup in a region that has rarely seen such a large naval presence.
We want to be clear: we unequivocally support the rights of the Venezuelan people to human rights and democracy—two fundamental principles that are constantly violated under the Maduro administration. However, we want to warn about the risks of military escalation and the impacts of some of the measures adopted by the U.S., while at the same time continue to advocate for a peaceful and democratic transition in Venezuela. Our role as an organization has always been to analyze these complicated relationships through a human rights lens and create policy recommendations that center those most impacted by these decisions. This means looking beyond simplistic narratives and examining the real-world consequences of policy choices on vulnerable communities.
That's exactly what I spent this week doing on Capitol Hill with partners from Venezuela Asset Recovery Initiative (INRAV), meeting with policymakers to advocate for the creation of a fund to protect the assets from corrupt Venezuelan politicians that have been forfeited in the U.S. and return them to Venezuelans under transparent mechanisms in line with international standards of asset recovery. In these increasingly difficult times, when truth often becomes the first casualty of political posturing, WOLA continues to push for evidence-based approaches grounded in respect for human dignity.
The stakes are too high for anything less.
In solidarity,
