Eureka council to consider resolution opposing U.S. actions in Venezuela

The Eureka City Council scheduled a special meeting Monday to consider a resolution condemning recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela, responding to persistent calls from local anti-war activists. The proposal, updated this month, frames the matter as an issue of international law and congressional oversight and would be forwarded to federal officials if approved.

The resolution asks for "an immediate and unconditional end to any U.S. military occupation or control activities in Venezuela, including a withdrawal of U.S. armed forces from Venezuelan territory and internal affairs." It was amended to reflect the recent U.S. raid on Venezuela’s capital that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are now in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on drug trafficking charges. Members of the United Nations Security Council described the raid as a violation of international law.

Council business on the topic has already been disrupted once. A similar item placed on the Dec. 16 agenda was not considered after the meeting was canceled for lack of a quorum. That prompted about a dozen activists with the Humboldt Anti-War Committee to attend the Jan. 6 meeting and press the council to act quickly. The revised resolution specifically calls for an end to "ongoing U.S. military strikes" and the "occupation-like control of Venezuela," and states the city "opposes any United States military presence, intervention, or de facto governance of Venezuela without explicit authorization from the United States Congress in compliance with the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution."

The War Powers Resolution, enacted by Congress in 1973, is cited in the staff report and in the proposed text as the legal framework intended to limit unilateral presidential military action. The law requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces abroad and generally prohibits forces from remaining for more than 60 days without congressional authorization—an element the city resolution uses to underline calls for legislative oversight.

If the Eureka resolution passes, the city clerk will send copies to President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the city’s congressional representatives. While city councils lack authority to change national policy, local resolutions can shape civic conversation, convey community values, and add municipal pressure to national debates.

For Eureka residents, the debate matters beyond symbolism. The measure connects to larger questions about adherence to international law, the role of Congress under the Constitution, and the humanitarian consequences of military action—issues that can affect refugees, immigrant families and local civic institutions that work with them. It also reflects a community willingness to weigh global affairs in local chambers.

The takeaway? Attend the meeting, contact your council members and make your voice heard if you care how Eureka frames international law and federal power. Our two cents? Showing up at City Hall still matters.