Alaska’s delegation agrees on ousting Venezuelan president; Murkowski questions how Trump did it
- Mark Sabbatini
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Sullivan said last month he opposed ‘having troops on the ground in Venezuela,’ but joined Begich on Saturday in strongly supporting air attacks and Maduro’s capture
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III enthusiastically support Saturday’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a large-scale attack on the country ordered by President Donald Trump. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski agrees Maduro was a ruthless dictator, but questions the manner in which he was captured.
The three Republicans in Alaska’s congressional delegation reacted to what essentially was a coup — with Trump declaring the U.S. will "run" Venezuela indefinitely until a satisfactory transition of power occurs — with statements that have been characteristic for each of them since Trump began his second term last January.
Murkowski, in particular, has been one of the few Republicans in Congress to criticize and vote against some of Trump’s actions and political nominees — although as a fellow Republican says she is largely aligned with his policy goals. In a statement Saturday, she noted she voted late last year in favor of legislation "that would have terminated the escalation of U.S. military operations against Venezuela absent explicit authorization from Congress."
"I took these votes because I believed the administration failed to provide Congress with the information necessary to fully evaluate the legal basis for these escalating actions," her statement notes. "That was true then, and it remains true today."
At the same time, Murkowski called Maduro "a dictator who has ruthlessly oppressed the people of Venezuela for more than a decade." She noted the U.S. doesn’t recognize him as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and a U.S. warrant for his arrest on drug-related crimes was issued in 2020.
"While I am hopeful that this morning’s actions have made the world a safer place, the manner in which the United States conducts military operations, as well as the authority under which these operations take place, is important," Murkowski stated. "When the Senate returns to Washington next week, Congress has been informed that we will receive additional briefings from the administration on the scope, objectives, and legal basis for these operations."
Sullivan, who voted last fall against limiting Trump’s escalation of operations, did express concerns about the possibility of Trump invading Venezuela in an interview published Dec. 19 by HuffPost.
“I don’t think having troops on the ground in Venezuela is a good idea,” he told the news website. “Putting pressure, in terms of the sanctions on the oil — a lot of that oil has already been sanctioned, as you know — I think it’s fine.”
Saturday’s attacks involved airstrikes and the U.S. Department of Defense stated Sunday there are no ground troops in Venezuela, although 15,000 troops are on land in nearby countries and on a dozen warships in the Caribbean. Sullivan, in a statement issued Saturday, expressed strong support for the outcome of the operation. "I commend President Trump and, especially, our brave military troops and intel and law enforcement officials who conducted this immensely complex operation with professionalism, precision, courage, and remarkable skill," Sullivan stated.
"The interim Venezuelan government must now decide that it is in their country's and people's interest to cooperate with the United States and reject Maduro's legacy of violence and narco-terrorism."
Sullivan, like Murkowski, said he is also looking forward to oversight briefings. But he said his interest is "a particular focus on the details of the plans to help Venezuela transition to a government free from all elements of the Maduro dictatorship and narco-terrorist violence." Sullivan noted difficulties have occurred in previous areas where the U.S. deposed leaders, including Panama's Manuel Noriega in 1989 and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Begich, in his statement, called the operation "a powerful and flawless execution of American power and capability."
"Stability and accountability in the Western Hemisphere are core U.S. national interests," he stated. "For far too long, criminal networks operating in our own hemisphere have exploited weak governance and corruption. The result has been poisoned streets, overwhelmed borders, and countless American lives lost to fentanyl and other illicit drugs."
Trump has stated in recent months U.S. actions against Venezuela, including fatal attacks on more than 30 boats in the Caribbean, are to stop "narcoterrorist" activities. However, critics have questioned the legality of those strikes — as well as Saturday’s attack — and note Trump has declared the U.S. now intends to take control of Venezuela’s oil, which accounts for about 17%of the world’s known reserves.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
