San Antonio, TX - John Lira, Marine Corps veteran and candidate for Texas’s newly redrawn 35th Congressional District, issued the following statement regarding U.S. Military Actions in Venezuela.

“Recent reports of unilateral U.S. military strikes near Venezuela and the reported capture or detention of President Nicolás Maduro, if accurate, are deeply concerning and, as described, would represent an illegal and unauthorized use of American military power,” said John Lira. The Constitution is clear: only Congress has the power to declare war. Any military action of this magnitude must be authorized by the people’s representatives, not undertaken at the discretion of an unchecked executive.”

“As a Marine veteran and a former senior federal official, I know that military force must always be a last resort, undertaken with full legal authority and clear strategy. I saw this same failed strategy of regime change in Iraq and it did nothing but cost valuable American lives, resources, and attention away from our challenges here at home. 

If the United States has engaged in military operations without congressional authorization, that is unacceptable. The American people deserve transparency, accountability, and a sober assessment of what we are being drawn into.

“Unilateral military intervention and attempted regime change, especially in a region as sensitive as Latin America, risks destabilizing an already fragile global security environment and eroding trust in U.S. leadership. We should be working to strengthen democratic institutions and peaceful diplomacy, not escalating conflict without clear legal authority or public debate.

“If elected, I will demand a full congressional briefing on the facts, legal justification, and strategic objectives behind any reported military action involving Venezuela. The American people and their representatives must be informed, and no president should have unilateral authority to commit the nation to war.

“The American people do not want another open-ended 'regime change' crusade in Venezuela, or anywhere else. We’ve seen how these Washington playbooks end: chaos abroad, higher costs at home, and working families left holding the bag.

John Lira - Candidate for U.S. Congress, Texas-35