‘No blood for oil’: Atlanta protesters decry U.S. involvement in Venezuela

In the early hours of Saturday, multiple explosions were heard while low-flying aircraft roared over Caracas. The operation led to the capturing of Maduro and his wife. It was the result of months of escalations.

During an 11 a.m. news conference, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would temporarily run the country and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations. Trump vowed to fix Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, stating oil companies would pay for its rebuilding.

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said.

Axel Vera, one of many speakers at the 3 p.m. protest and a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, called the country’s intervention an “act of terror” and against the will of people living in Venezuela.

He argued the operation would benefit billionaires instead of working-class Venezuelans and Americans, emphasizing that it was never about drugs or taking Maduro out of power.

“This is not about human rights abuses. This is not about drug trafficking. This is not about a lack of democracy or an economic crisis. This is not even about Maduro,” he told protesters.

“This is about the exploitation of resources belonging to a sovereign country. This is about the exploitation of the labor of free people. How much more of our tax money is going to be spent on war?”

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

Other demonstrators, such as Franklin Brogan, shared his fear of a prolonged war that could cost tax dollars that he believes should be invested in the U.S. economy to benefit the working class.

He, along with PSL organizer Addison Clapp, described the capture of Maduro as a “kidnapping,” condemning the administration’s decision to pluck a leader from leadership. Brogan said he saw Saturday’s operation as only the beginning of a further strangling of the Venezuelan economy that would make more direct attacks possible.

“The working-class young people are who Trump will send to fight this war for billionaires in a country that won’t fund snap and EBT. That won’t use our tax dollars for health care and education but for bombs and devastation,” Brogan yelled into the crowd.

During Brogan’s speech, an Atlanta firetruck drove down Centennial Olympic Park Drive and honked its horn in solidarity. It was one of several vehicles that honked during the protest.

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

John Benson, a member of the Socialist Workers Party who was handing out flyers celebrating the Cuban Revolution and denouncing the attack in Venezuela, said he believes the U.S. should invest in its own country instead of establishing influence abroad. He called the U.S. a “weakening power” since World War II and said Saturday’s operation was an attempt to reestablish itself.

“The United States has a long record, it doesn’t go in to help like Trump says it does. They’ve never gone anywhere in the world to help working people, that’s not what they do in this country,” Benson said.

Clapp, much like her peers, denounced the administration’s attack and argued that she did not support what she called “war crimes” funded by tax dollars. She called Maduro’s capture a distraction and argued the administration is instead after oil.

Venezuela had the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves in 2023 with approximately 303 billion barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“This is about U.S. capitalism and control over oil and overthrowing an independent government. So, no matter what politician it is calling for endless war, we’re going to stand against them, Republican or Democrat,” Clapp said.