The U.S. House of Representatives rejected two resolutions to withdraw U.S. troops in the event of a conflict with Venezuela or “terrorist organizations designated by President” Donald Trump in Latin America, a challenge that comes in the midst of Washington’s escalating pressure campaign on Caracas.
The House first rejected by a 216-210 vote Concurrent Resolution 61, which invoked Congress’ ability to “withdraw the Armed Forces of the United States from hostilities with presidentially designated terrorist organizations in the Western Hemisphere.”
Refusal to Limit U.S. Troop Deployments
Next, concurrent resolution 64, which ordered the withdrawal of troops “from hostilities in or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress,” was defeated in the House of Representatives, where Donald Trump’s Republican Party holds a slim majority, by 213 votes to 211.
Both resolutions, non-binding on their own, invoked section 5 of the War Powers Resolution, which allows Congress to order the president to withdraw the U.S. military from certain scenarios if supported by a joint resolution.
Shortly before the vote, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer again insisted that Trump “does not have the authority” to carry out his plans “to use military force in the Caribbean without congressional authorization.”
Tensions have further escalated over Venezuela after Trump announced on Tuesday, December 16, that the U.S. will block all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
The U.S. president, who since the summer has ordered a massive military deployment in the Caribbean with the aim of stopping the drug trafficking that, according to him, finances the government of Nicolás Maduro, assured that the Venezuelan executive is making use of oil fields and assets to extract “stolen” oil.
In turn, Trump has said in recent days that the US will soon begin to carry out attacks on assets of drug trafficking groups that are in Venezuelan territory.
Filed under: Reject limiting troop deployment
With information from EFE
