Would a U.S. war against Venezuela be just?

Edward Feser, Catholic World Report

Friday, December 19, 2025

To all appearances, the United States is preparing for war with Venezuela. For months now, American military forces have been blowing up Venezuelan boats said to be carrying drugs. The U.S. has deployed a fleet of warships off the country’s coast. President Trump has said that “this is war” and that “very soon we’re going to start doing it on land too.” Let’s consider the current situation in light of the just war doctrine developed by thinkers like Thomas Aquinas, which holds that for military action to be justifiable, it must meet four criteria: first, it must be in the service of a just cause; second, it must be performed by lawful authority; third, this authority must have the right intention; and fourth, the war must be fought using only right means.