Protestors rallied in Eugene Saturday against the United States’ military intervention in Venezuela.
More than 100 people gathered at the Federal Building in downtown Eugene, chanting “no blood for oil” as a stream of passing cars honked in support.
The event came hours after the Trump administration announced it had bombed Venezuela’s capital city, captured President Nicolás Maduro, and planned to run the country for the immediate future—although it wasn’t immediately clear how Trump planned to carry out his stated goal of maintaining U.S. power there.
Rodger Gamblin with the local chapter of Veterans for Peace said he was horrified by the sudden extraction of another world leader.
“It is an enemy of order and good faith between countries, and it's only an escalatory action that leads to war, “ said Gamblin. “And war is a poisonous, destructive, life-gargling machine of death.”
Santa Clara resident Leigh Anne Jasheway said the Trump administration’s actions remind her of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She said Congress needs to take its war powers back.
“I would hope that someone would grow a spine,” said Jasheway. “Because it’s a violation of the law and it’s a violation of the Constitution. And the Republican Party has always said they’re the party of Law and Order and they’re constitutionalists, and they’re doing neither. “
Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle told KLCC Saturday that her colleagues will introduce a War Powers Resolution once Congress is back in session Tuesday.
Hoyle, who represents Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, described Maduro as a murderous dictator. But she said the Trump administration had carried out an apparent violation of international law and Congress’ authority to declare war.
She said her colleagues are looking into additional strategies to stop the Trump administration’s incursions into Venezuela, such as withholding funding.
“I'm going to leave to go back to D.C. tomorrow and do everything possible to make sure that we don't get dragged down into another war for oil, with a president who doesn't think that he needs to come to Congress or the American people for permission to take military action,” said Hoyle.
Several candidates challenging Hoyle for her congressional seat this year also shared their thoughts Saturday about the military action in Venezuela.
At the protest, Pacific Green Party candidate Justin Filip described the move as a “terrorist act” and called for mobilization against the bipartisan system that he said allowed this to happen.
Melissa Bird, who’s challenging Hoyle in the May Democratic primary, said in a statement there needs to be an end to “American imperialism” and the country’s “global warfare.”
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Monique DeSpain celebrated the capture of Maduro in a press release, saying the Venezuelan people must now be allowed to govern their country.
“Finally, America has acted swiftly and decisively to defend herself against narco-terrorists fueling the deadly flow of illegal drugs into our nation,” wrote DeSpain. “I’m grateful to the brave men and women who carried out this mission, ensuring that fugitive narco-terrorist and illegitimate, ex-Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro will face justice in the United States —on the very soil his criminal networks exploited for years.”
