CODEPINK condemns the Trump administration’s latest escalation of aggression against Venezuela by offering a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuela’s elected president, Nicolás Maduro. It is a blatant case of lawfare, using the U.S. legal system as a weapon to try to remove a foreign leader and force regime change.
With bogus allegations that Maduro has ties to drug cartels and narcoterrorism, Washington is weaponizing criminal charges to destabilize a sovereign government. It’s a stark reminder: when a foreign leader refuses to capitulate to imperial agendas and instead voices solidarity with oppressed people, like Palestinians, they become targets of extra-judicial reprisals.
The bounty on Maduro is not new. Trump had already placed a $25 million price on this head as part of his “maximum pressure” strategy, pairing it with brutal sanctions, political isolation and support for coup attempts. Doubling it to $50 million will only embolden mercenaries and covert operations to attempt more dangerous and illegal actions like the failed 2020 “Operation Gideon” invasion. Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince even suggested raising the bounty to $100 million to create a “dynamic event” openly encouraging the kind of for-hire violence that undermines international law and puts lives at risk.
Maduro has been an unwavering critic of U.S. wars and interventions worldwide. Following the path set by Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has nationalized key industries, defended Venezuela’s oil sovereignty, deepened ties with Latin America through CELAC and ALBA and strengthened alliances with Russia, China and Iran. Venezuela broke ties with Israel years ago over its crimes against the Palestinian people, and under Maduro, it has consistently called for international prosecution of Israeli leaders for war crimes.
Trump’s $50 million bounty sends a clear warning to the world: resist U.S. domination, whether by defending Palestine, rejecting illegal wars or protecting your nation’s resources, and you will be targeted. This is an assault on Venezuela’s sovereignty and a threat to every leader who dares to oppose genocide or challenge Washington’s grip on global power.
Leaders everywhere, whether in Latin America, Africa, Asia, or Europe, should denounce this bounty for what it is: a dangerous precedent that shreds the right of nations to govern free from U.S. coercion. Today it is Venezuela; tomorrow it could be them. If they stay silent, they help normalize the targeting of any leader who dares to defy Washington. They should follow Venezuela’s example of cutting ties with genocide and apartheid, defending international law, and standing with oppressed peoples.
Hands off Venezuela. End the genocide in Gaza
