In the face of escalating U.S. military action against Venezuela, including the bombing and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, trade unions across the U.S. and around the world are standing in solidarity with the people of Venezuela.

From every corner of the world, the international labor movement is condemning the actions of U.S. imperialism and the Trump administration. They are calling for an immediate end to interventions in Venezuela, the release of the Maduros, as well as upholding the right of national sovereignty and self-determination so that all peoples, not the imperialists, can determine their own destiny.

Within the U.S., the AFL-CIO condemned the US military aggression against Venezuela and the violation of its sovereignty. “We join the international labor community in condemning President Trump’s unconstitutional actions in Venezuela,” the labor federation said. They called for respect for the Venezuelan people’s right to self-determination and a return to peaceful dialogue.

The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the federation’s constituency group for Spanish-speaking workers, said: “LCLAA joins the national and international labor movement in condemning unconstitutional actions in Venezuela.”

The United Electrical Workers (UE), in a statement titled No More Blood for Oil, said: “Our government’s escalating attacks on Venezuela are unconstitutional, immoral, and a massive waste of resources.” They demanded Congress rein in executive overreach and pass the War Powers Resolution to stop the aggression.

National Nurses United (NNU) connected the war abroad to the class war at home: “Nurses across the country are outraged that the Trump administration has ignored the Constitution and committed an imperialist act of war… all while they have prioritized spending on war abroad.” They condemned the move as a “fascist allegiance to the billionaire class” aimed at controlling Venezuelan oil, and called for investment in healthcare and housing instead.

This sentiment was echoed by union bodies across the country. The San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO passed a resolution declaring itself a “Peace Labor Council” in the face of threatened U.S. action. United Autoworkers Local 4811, representing academic workers, stated the attacks “will benefit only the billionaire class” and demanded funding be diverted from bombers to education and healthcare. The Professional Staff Congress (PSC) at CUNY also passed a resolution opposing the military aggression.

International Labor Movement Mobilizes

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) issued a powerful call to action. “The US is intensifying its aggression against the sovereign people of Venezuela,” the WFTU stated, condemning the airstrikes and the capture of President Maduro. “This illegal kidnapping… constitutes an unprecedented aggressive act that violates every fundamental principle of international law.”

They said: “The World Federation of Trade Unions condemns unequivocally the imperialist intervention in Venezuela aiming the control of the mineral and energy wealth of the country.” It called upon its members and “class-oriented and militant unions all over the globe” to express unwavering support, condemn the intervention, and tangibly extend internationalist solidarity to defend Venezuela’s right to self-determination.

In India, the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) transformed a major conference into a massive demonstration in solidarity with Venezuela, adopting a resolution that “vehemently condemn[ed] US imperialist aggression” and demanded President Maduro’s immediate release.

In Greece, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) declared, “Hands Off the People of Venezuela!”, labeling the attack a criminal pursuit of monopoly profits and oil reserves. The Trade Union Association of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia (Czech Republic) condemned the “act of state terrorism,” while the Confederation of Nepalese Professionals (CONEP) in Nepal protested the “serious violation of the UN Charter” and called for UN action.

South Africa’s two largest union federations also responded. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) condemned the invasion and called for Maduro’s release, while the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) called it “naked aggression, regime-change warfare, and the criminal logic of empire.”

In Europe, unions joined the condemnation. Cyprus’s Pancyprian Federation of Labor (PEO) called the bombings an “unprecedented and flagrant violation” of the UN Charter. Italy’s Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) called for immediate nationwide mobilization, stating “imperialism has chosen violence as the only form of domination.” The Basque Trade Union Centre (LAB) provided a detailed condemnation, arguing military intervention “is never a solution, but rather a tool of domination.”

Other international union federations also added their voices. Public Services International (PSI) condemned the aggression as a “direct threat to the stability, peace and national sovereignty” of the region, demanding an immediate cessation and respect for international law. The Trade Unions International of Building, Wood, and Building Materials (UITBB) called the attack “nothing short of imperialist intervention” and urged members to mobilize mass protests and strikes.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) expressed their “absolute and unequivocal rejection of the military operation” by the U.S. on Venezuela.

“These acts in no way defend democracy; they are clear acts of aggression as part of a militarised foreign policy agenda motivated by unilateral economic interests,” they said in their joint-statement.

“We defend Venezuela and all of Latin America as a territory of peace. We do not accept invasion and violence against our peoples and territories. The trade union movement, as always, is on the front line of defending sovereignty and self-determination, democracy and human rights.”

The Voice of Venezuelan Workers

Immediately after the attacks, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Venezuela (CUTV) issued an urgent appeal, “¡No a los ataques militares contra Venezuela!” The union condemned the “cowardly attacks… by military forces serving US imperialism, in abominable violation of international law.”

The CUTV framed the attack as part of a broader assault, “implementing the criminal Trump corollary to the colonial Monroe Doctrine.” They called on Venezuelan workers to preserve life and cooperate with national defense, and reaffirmed the principle driving international labor’s response: “It is for the Venezuelan people to resolve the national crisis by exercising their right to self-determination.”

Keep the Pressure On!

As unions in the U.S. and countless other unions around the world have made clear, the fight for Venezuela’s sovereignty is inseparable from the international struggle for democracy, peace, justice, and the right of all peoples to determine their own future.

For the labor movement, and particularly its organized sections in the trade unions, next steps should be to continue the mass demonstrations and mobilizations in solidarity with the Venezuelan people and against U.S. intervention.

For U.S. unions, similarly to the efforts around the Gaza genocide and the struggle for a ceasefire, union locals and central labor councils can begin passing resolutions in solidarity with Venezuela, like PSC-CUNY and the San Francisco Labor Council already have.

The CPUSA Labor Commission drafted a sample resolution that can be used as a basis for such activity, based on the UE’s initiatives at their 79th Convention.

Recall that it took several months and large national unions to endorse the call for a ceasefire in Gaza, including the formation of the National Labor Network for Ceasefire, to move the AFL-CIO. This time, since the announcement of the illegal and criminal attacks on Venezuela, major trade unions and the AFL-CIO itself have come out forcefully against it. They join the 70% of U.S. people who oppose any military intervention in Venezuela.

Getting a War Powers Resolution passed through Congress in an attempt to limit Trump’s belligerence is also key. While Congress voted it down last month, by slim margins, with the popular pressure brewing from below and the introduction of the labor movement into the fight, chances for success become sharply increased.

But even more must be done, including building support among the rank-and-file workers in the shops, getting more central labor councils, unions, and state federations to mobilize their membership in not only the peace movement, but also the popular opposition to Trump’s massively unpopular MAGA agenda and fascistic rule.

Images: Basque trade union centre LAB condemns military aggression on Venezuela (LAB SINDIKATUA on X); Indian workers protest U.S. attack on Venezuela (CPI-M on X).