Passed by the WMALF Delegates at the January Delegates Meeting
Statement of the Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
Springfield, MA.
15 January 2026
Along with the National AFL-CIO, we join the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) in expressing our absolute and categorical rejection of the military operation conducted in the early hours of 3 January 2026, by the government of the United States of America on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela killing, as of this writing, over 100 people.
Considering the gravity of the events, which include the bombing of facilities in Caracas and confirmation by the U.S. Government of President Nicolas Maduro’s kidnapping and abduction, the international trade union movement:
- Condemns the military intervention.
- Defends sovereignty and self-determination of the Venezuelan people.
- Demands respect for human rights.
- Calls for peace and dialogue.
- Calls for the end of economic sanctions on Venezuela.
- Demands the release of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores
“In no way do these acts defend democracy. They are clear acts of aggression in the context of a militarized foreign policy agenda driven by unilateral economic interests,” said ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle. “Threats of abduction and the misuse of courts to attack a sovereign government undermine the rule of law, internationally, and set a precedent for imperialist coercion that represents a threat to peace everywhere.
Western Massachusetts, like the rest of the country, is caught up in a crisis of affordability as working people struggle to afford a quality of life. Our economy is hemorrhaging as the costs of everyday needs rise while public funding of services, including schools, are threatened with cuts.
This military action is an attempt to steal the oil resources of Venezuela. In Massachusetts, our green energy offshore wind programs, moving us off oil, have been stopped by the Trump regime. Meanwhile, there never seems to be a problem funding yet another military adventure for a Pentagon that has failed eight consecutive audits. This type of action diverts billions of dollars from helping working people to illegal military actions around the world. We stand with all working people.
Western Mass Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
640 Page Boulevard
Springfield, MA 01104