type: timeline_event
Protesters around the world took to the streets to condemn the U.S. military invasion of Venezuela and capture of President Nicolas Maduro, which was announced on January 3, 2026. In the United States, weekend protests were planned in over 100 cities as anti-war coalitions mobilized against what many described as an illegal act of aggression violating international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.
The invasion, which Trump framed as liberating Venezuela from a "dictator," drew immediate comparisons to the 2003 Iraq invasion. International condemnation came from governments across Latin America, Europe, and Asia, with many allies expressing concern about the precedent of military action to remove a foreign leader without congressional authorization or UN Security Council approval.
The protests marked the beginning of sustained resistance to the administration's foreign policy adventurism, which would intensify in subsequent weeks as Trump simultaneously threatened military action against Greenland, escalated tensions with NATO allies, and intervened rhetorically in Iran's internal protests. The Venezuela demonstrations converged with growing outrage over domestic immigration enforcement, laying the groundwork for the coordinated resistance that would culminate in the Minnesota general strike and Free America Walkout later in January.