Venezuela protests revive "No Blood for Oil" message
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Protesters hold signs that read, ''We are the evil empire'' and ''No blood for oil'' at a demonstration outside City Hall in Austin, Texas, on Jan. 4 to protest the Trump administration's attack on Venezuela. Photo: Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Protesters across the U.S. rallied against the Trump administration's intervention in Venezuela over the weekend, demanding "No Blood for Oil."
Why it matters: In a callback to past anti-war protests, activists are reviving the "No Blood for Oil" slogan to oppose U.S. military action in Venezuela. The message reflects enduring skepticism of foreign intervention — and a fear that energy interests, not clear national security goals, are driving the conflict.
Catch up quick: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appears in federal court in New York on Monday following President Trump's weekend raid to capture him.
- Trump said the U.S. will run Venezuela and its oil infrastructure until a "proper transition" takes place.
State of play: Protesters brought "no blood for oil" signs to the streets over the weekend in Atlanta; Columbia, South Carolina; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Chicago; Los Angeles; Seattle; and New York City.
Context: Venezuela sits atop the world's largest known oil reserves, and Trump has claimed Venezuela stole U.S. oil when it nationalized the industry.
- He said Saturday the U.S. would restore Venezuela's oil infrastructure and compensate U.S. companies that lost out in the equipment seized during the nationalization.
Flashback: "No blood for oil" has served as an anti-war rallying cry for decades, gaining prominence during the 1991 Gulf War and resurfacing ahead of the 2003 Iraq War.
- The 2003 invasion of Iraq sparked an eight-year conflict, killing more than 4,000 U.S. service members and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
- Following the war, Iraq's domestic oil industry became largely privatized and dominated by foreign firms.
Go deeper: How the operation to take out Venezuela's Maduro unfolded
