Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has strongly criticised former President Donald Trump's recent military intervention in Venezuela, labelling it an unlawful act. This condemnation, however, has drawn attention to her own past stance on the Venezuelan crisis from 2019.
Harris's Current Condemnation vs. 2019 Stance
In a sharp statement, Kamala Harris argued that the overnight military strike, dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve and aimed at capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, fails to enhance America's security or economic strength. She asserted that despite Maduro's brutal dictatorship, the action was both unwise and illegal.
"We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price," Harris said. She accused Trump of motivated by oil interests and a desire to play regional strongman, rather than genuine concerns for democracy or combating drugs.
This criticism was quickly met with reminders of a social media post Harris made in 2019. In that post, she called the situation in Venezuela a "crisis" and pledged to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Venezuelans fleeing Maduro's regime if elected President. "It’s the right thing to do. America must show moral leadership in this hemisphere," she had written.
The TPS Timeline and Conflicting Actions
The TPS program allows nationals from designated countries facing severe conditions to seek asylum in the United States. Reflecting the severity of the crisis, the US granted TPS to Venezuela in 2021 due to political turmoil and humanitarian collapse, a status later extended in 2023.
In a significant policy reversal, the Trump administration revoked this protected status in 2025. Harris's recent remarks pointedly criticised Trump for endangering troops, spending billions, and destabilising the region without legal authority or a clear exit plan.
Political Backlash and MAGA Response
Supporters of Trump's action were quick to counter Harris's accusations. MAGA commentators highlighted that the operation reportedly concluded with no damage to the elite team involved. They also noted a seeming contradiction: the Biden-Harris administration had previously raised the bounty on Maduro to $25 million for information leading to his arrest.
One critic encapsulated the rebuttal: "It sounds like you're angry that the Trump/Vance administration accomplished what the Biden/Harris administration could not." This exchange underscores the deep political divisions in US foreign policy, especially regarding intervention in Latin America.
The incident has sparked a fresh debate on the consistency of political rhetoric versus action, placing the spotlight firmly on the complex and often contentious US approach to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.
