About 70 people gathered in front of Congressmember John Mannion’s office in downtown Syracuse Thursday to condemn U.S. aggressions against Venezuela. Members of several groups said they worry it’s the start of another war that will lead to more global conflict. Tammy Honeywell with Democratic Socialists of America said Mannion’s support of what he calls “a brave, highly complex, and precision operation” has killed innocent civilians.
"We denounce the statement by Democratic Representative John Mannion," Honeywell said. "By commending the military for this kidnapping, Mannion has chosen to prioritize the logistics of empire over human rights and democracy. We oppose imperialism regardless of which political party is cheering it on."
Rachel Bass with Jewish Voices for Peace said they condemn the criminal and colonial military aggression against Venezuela.
"This brazen violation of international law and the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people is cut from the same cloth as the U.S.-funded genocide in Gaza, where the Palestinian people's rights and freedoms have been brutally sacrificed in the interest of American imperial power," she said.
Long-time activist with the Syracuse Peace Council Diane Swords said the U.S. actions threaten expanded global conflict.
"Already, Trump has threatened Cuba, Mexico, Greenland, Colombia, and Iran, among others," she said. "This aggression must be stopped now or it will continue to spread across the globe. The U.S. action sets a dangerous precedent by attacking another nation's sovereignty."
One of the other groups at the protest was the Syracuse Immigration and Refuge Defense Network. Representative Mallory DeJohn said the U.S. government's obligation to provide for American citizens has been ignored and overshadowed by the actions against Venezuela.
"Displaced Venezuelans in the U.S. are unjustly deported by the Trump regime using our tax dollars," she said.
"Trump and his cronies are also spending more of our money to bomb the home country of some of those very same immigrants."
Swords with the peace council said the sovereignty of any country needs to be respected, even if their leaders are corrupt dictators.
"We sure are not making apologies for [Nicolas] Maduro," she said. "But at the same time, if we stop following the international consensus that sovereign countries should be respected and that leaders should not be kidnapped,
any leader could be kidnapped. It's a slippery slope."
