Protests erupted across downtown Portland on Saturday in response to the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Demonstrators expressed alarm over the administration’s actions and voiced concerns about the potential for another war, demanding Maduro’s immediate release.
Among the critics was Oregon’s Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who described the military operation as a direct contradiction to President Donald Trump’s campaign promises. “This is exactly the sort of international intervention that Trump campaigned against,” Merkley stated, drawing parallels to the lead-up to the Iraq War. He noted that past justifications for military action, such as the claim of weapons of mass destruction, echo the current narrative, which he believes is focused on controlling Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
Merkley emphasized, “This is about oil. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world,” a sentiment echoed by Trump in his address that morning. The president mentioned the potential involvement of U.S. oil companies in revitalizing Venezuela’s infrastructure, stating, “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”
Washington state lawmakers also voiced their objections. Senator Patty Murray criticized the idea of U.S. taxpayer money being used to intervene in another country while domestic issues remain unaddressed. “It is outrageous for a president who is tanking our economy here at home to suggest that the American taxpayer spend a fortune to ‘run’ another country,” she wrote on social media. Senator Maria Cantwell raised concerns about the implications of U.S. involvement in Venezuela, questioning the long-term stability of the region.
In Portland, over 200 protesters gathered at the corner of West Burnside and Southwest 10th Avenue, waving Venezuelan flags and chanting anti-war slogans. Signs reading “Hands Off Venezuela” and “No War” were prominently displayed as demonstrators marched toward the waterfront, with a small group of counter-protesters trailing behind.
Further south in Eugene, more than 100 individuals rallied at the Federal Building, chanting “no blood for oil” while cars honked in support. While many Republican leaders praised Trump’s actions, Oregon’s lone Republican congressperson, Cliff Bentz, had not commented on the situation by Saturday afternoon.
Senator Ron Wyden condemned the military action, arguing it undermined U.S. interests by bypassing Congress and normalizing a culture of interventionism. “President Trump’s attack on Venezuela, without congressional authorization or imminent threat to the United States, is exactly the same global interventionism that Americans soundly rejected after decades of failed wars,” he stated in a written response.
