California officials declare U.S. moves in Venezuela a national security threat
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The Trump administration's plan to take over Venezuela and its oil production is drawing criticism from environmental advocates.
One coalition of elected representatives said American actions in Venezuela would increase carbon emissions and further dependency on fossil fuels, which would in turn harm national security.
Alex Cornell du Houx, president of Elected Officials to Protect America, a former Maine legislator and adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco, said the government should be taking the opposite approach.
"Taking military action to increase our oil dependency is going in the wrong direction," du Houx contended. "The best thing we can do is secure clean, distributed, renewable energy, because that's what actually makes the world more secure."
President Donald Trump initially said his moves in Venezuela were intended to hamper the drug trade and bring an illegitimate dictator to justice. He has since said he will control the profits from the sale of Venezuelan oil for the foreseeable future. Trump has also pressured countries like India to stop buying Russian oil.
Igor Tregub, a Berkeley city council member and member of Elected Officials to Protect America, said the approach sets a poor example.
"He did say the quiet part out loud. He wants to take over Venezuela's oil reserves," Tregub noted. "This is no better than what Putin did when he invaded my homeland of Ukraine. I guarantee you Putin and Jinping are watching closely."
Tregub added the war in Ukraine is made possible by profits from the sale of Russian oil. He called Trump’s action in Venezuela a threat to international security.
"The so-called leader of the free world, instead of divesting from the fossil fuel monopoly, he has instead doubled down on wars over getting more fossil fuels out of the ground," Tregub emphasized.
Elected Officials to Protect America is urging governments around the world to transition to clean energy. They have also proposed an Energy Security Marshall Plan for Ukraine to help the country reduce dependence on oil and gas.
