A third of Americans support US strike on Venezuela, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
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The poll showed that Republicans supported a policy that includes exerting influence over nearby countries.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - One in three Americans approves of the US military strike on Venezuela
The two-day poll showed 65 per cent of Republicans back the military operation ordered by Republican President Donald Trump, compared to 11 per cent of Democrats and 23 per cent of independents.
US forces swooped into Caracas before dawn on Jan 3 in a deadly raid that yielded the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who the US military turned over to federal authorities for prosecution on charges involving alleged drug trafficking.
The raid, and Mr Trump’s subsequent statement that the US would now “run” Venezuela, marked a sharp departure for a president who long criticised other US leaders for foreign entanglements.
The move came after his administration signalled that it intended to focus primarily on the domestic economy, a significant concern for voters heading into this year’s midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the last two years of Mr Trump’s term.
Republicans back ‘dominating’ policy
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted on Jan 3 and 5, showed significant support among Republicans for a foreign policy that includes exerting influence over nearby countries.
Some 43 per cent of Republicans said they agreed with the statement: “The United States should have a policy of dominating affairs in the Western Hemisphere”, compared with 19 per cent who disagreed. The rest said they were unsure or did not answer the question.
Mr Trump on Jan 3 said the US would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified time and could send in ground troops. Vowing to overhaul Venezuela’s oil industry, he said on Jan 4 the US needs “total access” to the country’s large oil fields.
Some 60 per cent of Republicans in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they supported sending US troops to be stationed in Venezuela, compared to 30 per cent of Americans overall. Fifty-nine per cent of Republicans said they supported the US taking control of oil fields in Venezuela.
It remains unclear how Mr Trump means to carry out his promise to run Venezuela. On Jan 4, he appeared to indicate that Washington would control Venezuela by intimidating its leaders rather than actually governing the country.
“If they don’t behave, we will do a second strike,” Mr Trump said. Whatever course he takes, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 65 per cent of Republicans support the US governing Venezuela.
Republicans are more divided in their worries over how US involvement could evolve. Some 54 per cent of Republicans said they worried the US will become too involved in Venezuela.
The same percentage expressed concern about the financial costs, compared to 45 per cent who said they were unconcerned. Sixty-four percent of Republicans were worried US involvement would risk the lives of military personnel in Venezuela.
The poll, which surveyed 1,248 US adults nationwide, showed Mr Trump's approval rating at 42 per cent, the highest rating since October and up from 39 per cent in a December poll. The poll, which was conducted online, had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points. REUTERS
