Partisan Divide Widens Over US Military Intervention in Venezuela: YouGov Poll
TL/DR –
A new YouGov poll reveals differing opinions between Democrats and Republicans regarding the U.S. military action in Venezuela. It shows that a majority of Republicans (74%) supported a U.S. invasion of the country, while only 13% of Democrats did. While the poll highlights significant party disagreement on the legality and motivations behind the military action, both parties largely agreed that Venezuela’s future governance should be decided by a new election and that the Venezuelan people should decide the country’s future leadership.
U.S. Military Action in Venezuela Divides Democratic and Republican Opinions
There is a distinct divide between Democrats and Republicans regarding the recent U.S. military action in Venezuela, including the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, according to a YouGov poll. Since September, Republican support for military intervention in Venezuela has grown from 43% to 74%, whereas only 13% of Democrats support this action.
Political Divisions Over Recent Military Actions
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to support military interventions, including the recent bombing of nuclear sites in Iran and the Venezuela operation. This partisan divide is the most significant for military actions during Trump’s second term.
Legalities of the Venezuela Operation
A majority of Democrats argue that the Venezuela intervention was illegal under U.S. (74%) and international law (76%). However, most Republicans believe it was legal under both U.S. (68%) and international law (55%).
Reasons for U.S. Military Intervention in Venezuela
The main perceived reasons for the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela are to increase U.S. access to oil (53%), prevent drug trafficking (41%), remove corrupt leadership (37%), boost U.S. global power (37%) and distract from domestic political issues (37%). Democrats are more likely to attribute negative or cynical reasons for the action than Republicans.
Maduro’s Ouster and Trial
The U.S. government’s depiction of Maduro as corrupt and its decision to put him on trial for drug trafficking aligns with the top reasons Republicans cite for the military action. Notably, 81% of Republicans but only 31% of Democrats approve of Maduro’s trial.
Future Governance of Venezuela
Despite differences over the military intervention, both Democrats and Republicans (49% and 48% respectively) agree that the next step for Venezuela should be a new election. An identical 42% of both parties think Venezuelan opposition leaders should lead after Maduro’s capture. Furthermore, a substantial majority from both parties (83% Democrats, 74% Republicans) believe the Venezuelan people should decide their country’s future leadership.
See the full results of this YouGov poll
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