Poll: 72% of Americans Fear US Entanglement in Venezuela

By Staff, Agencies

The majority of Americans are concerned that the United States could become too involved in Venezuela following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, a new Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted shortly after the aggression on the country revealed.

The two-day poll, which concluded on Monday, found that 72% of respondents worry the US may become overly involved in Venezuela, while 25% said they do not share that concern. The unease cuts across political lines, though it is more pronounced among Democrats than Republicans.

According to the survey, 90% of Democrats expressed concern about excessive US involvement, compared with 74% of independents and nonaffiliated voters, and 54% of Republicans. By contrast, 45% of Republicans said they are not worried, along with 19% of voters identifying as “other” and 9% of Democrats.

Americans remain sharply divided over the US military action that led to Maduro’s kidnapping. Overall, 34% said they disapprove of the action, 33% approve, and another 33% said they did not know or declined to answer.

Partisan divisions were stark. Among Republicans, 65% approved of the operation and 6% disapproved. Among Democrats, 65% disapproved, while 11% approved. Independents and other voters were more uncertain, with 42% saying they did not know, 35% disapproving, and 23% approving of the action.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey was conducted on Sunday and Monday and included responses from 1,248 adults. The margin of error is 3 percentage points for all adults and 5 percentage points for individual demographic or political groups.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 5 entered a plea of not guilty during what he described as a sham trial in a New York federal court, responding to charges of narco-terrorism and other related criminal allegations, according to Reuters.

Maduro, who was abducted from his residence by US forces on January 3, rejected four criminal charges filed by US prosecutors, including accusations of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and the possession of machine guns and other destructive devices. The charges originate from what Caracas has described as a long-standing US hoax alleging the Venezuelan leader’s involvement in international drug trafficking networks, accusations that the Venezuelan government has repeatedly and firmly denied.

During what was described as an illegal court hearing, US media reported that Maduro reaffirmed his political legitimacy by telling the court that he continues to hold the presidency of Venezuela, stating, “I’m not guilty, I’m a decent man, and I remain the President of my country,” President Maduro said.

CNN reported that Maduro told the so-called court he had not been shown the indictment prior to his appearance and was unaware of his legal rights, a statement that raised questions over whether he had been given adequate time to consult with his legal team before the hearing.