Mumia Calls Trump's Venezuela Move an 'Imperial Robbery'

Political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal condemns U.S. seizure of Venezuelan president and first lady as a 'stickup' for the country's oil.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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In a call from prison, activist and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal condemned the U.S. government's seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores as an "act of imperial robbery" and a "stickup" for Venezuela's oil resources. Abu-Jamal drew parallels to past U.S. military interventions based on false pretexts, calling for the return of Maduro and Flores and for Venezuela's natural resources to remain in the hands of its people.

Why it matters

Mumia Abu-Jamal's statement provides a critical perspective from a prominent political prisoner on the U.S. government's actions against the Maduro administration, which have been condemned by many as a violation of Venezuela's sovereignty and an attempt to seize control of the country's oil wealth.

The details

In a call to a protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, Abu-Jamal likened the U.S. government's seizure of Maduro and Flores to an old movie trope of a "stickup" where the empire demands "your oil or else." He drew parallels to past U.S. military interventions based on false pretexts, such as the Iraq War, and called for Maduro and Flores to be returned home and for Venezuela's natural resources to remain under the control of the Venezuelan people.

  • On February 3, 2026, protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York to mark one month since the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores by the U.S. government.
  • On February 13, 2026, political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal called in to the protest and delivered his statement condemning the U.S. actions.

The players

Mumia Abu-Jamal

A political activist and writer who has been imprisoned since 1982 and is considered by many to be a political prisoner.

Nicolás Maduro

The President of Venezuela who was kidnapped by the U.S. government in February 2026.

Cilia Flores

The First Combatant of Venezuela, who is the wife of President Nicolás Maduro and was also kidnapped by the U.S. government in February 2026.

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What they’re saying

“Hey Venezuela, this is a stickup! It is time for all of us to say what we see, right before us. When an empire attacks a poor workers' state and demands the lion's share of its richest raw material, oil, why is this not a stickup?”

— Mumia Abu-Jamal, Political Prisoner (iacenter.org)

“Remember 'weapons of mass destruction?' Who got busted for that disaster? Maduro and Flores are not subject to U.S. law. They should be returned home, period. And the natural resources of Venezuela should remain in the hands of the people of Venezuela. Certainly not politicians, not the U.S.”

— Mumia Abu-Jamal, Political Prisoner (iacenter.org)

The takeaway

Mumia Abu-Jamal's statement from prison provides a powerful critique of the U.S. government's actions against the Maduro administration in Venezuela, framing it as an imperialist "stickup" for the country's oil resources rather than a legitimate legal or political intervention. His call for the return of Maduro and Flores and for Venezuela's natural resources to remain under the control of the Venezuelan people reflects a broader demand for national sovereignty and self-determination.