HOUSE MEMORIAL 29

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Andrea Romero and Patricia Roybal Caballero

and Susan K. Herrera and Christine Chandler and Yanira Gurrola

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

CONDEMNING THE INVASION OF VENEZUELA BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

 

     WHEREAS, on January 3, 2026, at the direction of the administration of President Donald J. Trump and under the code name "Operation Absolute Resolve", United States military forces invaded Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores; and

     WHEREAS, according to officials in Venezuela and Cuba, more than eighty people were killed in the invasion, including thirty-two members of the Cuban military and Cuban intelligence agencies; and

     WHEREAS, the Trump administration did not notify the United States congress in advance of the invasion; and

     WHEREAS, the Trump administration has no authority to take military action on its own behalf against a sovereign nation, as the United States constitution deliberately assigns to congress, not the president, the power to decide when the United States will initiate hostilities against foreign sovereigns; and

     WHEREAS, the United States constitution assigns to congress the power to declare war and the related authority to issue letters of marque and reprisal to private entities, both of which reflect a constitutional judgement that decisions risking international conflict, retaliation and escalation should not rest with a single actor; and

     WHEREAS, when a United States president unilaterally deploys military force abroad to seize a foreign head of state, effectively collapsing war powers, foreign relations and criminal law enforcement into a single executive action, the constitutional safeguards designed to cabin the use of military force against other countries are bypassed entirely; and

     WHEREAS, this unilateral action is not cured by the existence of a valid indictment, which may or may not explain why a president wishes to act but cannot provide the constitutional authority to do so through military force without meaningful congressional engagement or authorization; and

     WHEREAS, the violation of Venezuelan air space by United States military forces, the air strikes in Caracas, the seizure of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores and their forced removal to the United States are egregious violations of the United Nations charter, which makes clear that all members of the United Nations are to refrain from the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any nation; and

     WHEREAS, the Trump administration claims to have seized control of Venezuela and has announced its intent to "run" the Venezuelan government, while not providing timelines, clear objectives or a transition plan; and

     WHEREAS, in the absence of a clear plan for transition to a legitimate democratic government, the presence of United States military forces in Venezuela constitutes an illegal occupation of the country; and

     WHEREAS, the Trump administration has announced its intent to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves and its large deposits of gold and rare earth minerals; and

     WHEREAS, the seizure of Venezuelan oil for United States corporate or national interests is a further violation of international law; and

     WHEREAS, the American people are entitled to a clear accounting of all nongovernmental actors seeking interests in Venezuela, and all corporate businesses or interests coming into Venezuela during the United States occupation must be identified and their business interests and activities disclosed, including disclosure of corporate management and operations; due diligence policies for all corporate plans or management systems; plans for the management of social and environmental issues; risk assessment, including the identification of potential and actual human rights violations and environmental impacts; measures to prevent and mitigate identified actual or potential harms; measures for remediation of negative impacts; and procedures for tracking the effectiveness of remedial measures and for monitoring and reporting the effectiveness of those measures to shareholders and stakeholders; and

     WHEREAS, all private United States corporations doing business in Venezuela must be called upon to divest their Venezuelan interests and cease any activities that support the illegal occupation of the country by the United States; and

     WHEREAS, all private United States corporations doing business in both Venezuela and New Mexico must be held accountable for any and all violations of international law and human rights;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the Trump administration's invasion of Venezuela, including the seizure of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores and the occupation of Venezuela by United States military forces, be condemned as unauthorized by the United State congress and a clear violation of international law; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Trump administration be called upon to promptly initiate a transition plan for the election of a legitimate democratic government in Venezuela; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all United States corporations doing business in both New Mexico and Venezuela be called upon to divest all Venezuelan holdings and interests, cease all activities in Venezuela during the occupation of Venezuela by the United States and refrain from doing business in Venezuela until a democratically elected government is in place; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the attorney general, the chair of the legislative finance committee and the chair of the courts, corrections and justice committee.

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