How Americans view Venezuela operation: Polls revealed
Photo: How Americans feel about the special operation in Venezuela (Getty Images)
One in three Americans approves of US military action in Venezuela, while 72% of respondents are concerned about US interference in the South American country, Reuters reports.
A two-day poll showed that 65% of Republicans support military action, compared to 11% of Democrats and 23% of independents.
At the same time, about 43% of Republicans said they agree with the statement "The United States should have a policy of dominating affairs in the Western Hemisphere," compared to 19% who disagreed. The rest said they were unsure or did not answer the question.
About 60% of Republicans in the Reuters poll say they support sending US troops to Venezuela, compared with 30% of Americans overall. 59% of Republicans say they support the US taking control of Venezuela's oil fields.
At the same time, about 54% of Republicans say they were concerned that the US would become too involved in Venezuela's affairs. The same percentage expressed concern about the financial costs, compared to 45% who said they were not concerned.
64% of Republicans are concerned that US intervention will endanger the lives of military personnel in Venezuela.
The poll, which surveyed 1,248 American adults nationwide, found that US President Donald Trump's approval rating stands at 42%, the highest since October and up from 39% in December's poll.
Background
On January 3, the US conducted a special operation in Caracas, resulting in the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
His wife, Cilia Flores, was arrested along with him, after which the couple was taken to the United States. The first court hearing in the case has already taken place. Maduro and Flores are charged with involvement in drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons.
Long before this operation, Donald Trump demanded that Maduro return stolen assets, land, and oil to the US, but the Venezuelan leader did not respond to either the appeals or the threats from the current US President.
Trump's statements about stolen American assets refer to the nationalization of oil fields in Venezuela, which were previously owned by US companies. This decision was made during the presidency of Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chávez.
