El Salvador President Nayib Bukele offered a blunt rejoinder Saturday to a U.S. Senator’s condemnation of the military operation that removed Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela.
While Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen described the Trump administration’s move as an unauthorized “act of war,” Bukele dismissed the criticism with a direct accusation regarding the Senator’s priorities.
“So you just want to defend thugs,” Bukele wrote on X.
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The social media clash highlights a deepening rift between the Salvadoran leader, known for his aggressive crackdown on gangs like MS-13, and congressional Democrats who have questioned both his methods and the current U.S. foreign policy strategy.
The Senator’s Stance
On Saturday morning, Senator Van Hollen released a detailed statement denouncing the capture of the Venezuelan socialist leader. As the Tampa Free Press reported, the operation to remove Maduro was conducted swiftly and resulted in zero U.S. casualties.
However, Van Hollen argued that the lack of congressional approval made the move illegal and dangerous.
“The American people did not ask for this act of war to bring about regime change in Venezuela – nor did Congress authorize it,” Van Hollen wrote. “President Trump has put our troops in harm’s way, and he has not provided a clear, fact-based rationale for these actions.”
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The Maryland Democrat went further, suggesting the administration’s motives were financial rather than humanitarian or security-based. “This is about trying to grab Venezuela’s oil for Trump’s billionaire buddies,” he stated, adding that while Maduro is a dictator, his regime did not pose an “immediate threat” warranting military intervention.
The Indictment and the “Thug” Label
Bukele’s use of the word “thugs” appears to reference both the criminal charges against the deposed Venezuelan leader and a previous dispute between Bukele and Van Hollen involving alleged gang members.
The indictment against Maduro, unsealed Saturday, paints a picture distinct from Van Hollen’s assessment of the threat level. Federal prosecutors charged Maduro and co-defendants with “narco-terrorism,” alleging they partnered with cartels to flood the United States with cocaine. The U.S. government has long designated several groups tied to the Maduro regime as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
The friction between Bukele and Van Hollen also has roots in domestic immigration policy. In the spring of 2025, Van Hollen advocated for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported from Maryland. While Van Hollen argued for Garcia’s rights, the Trump administration and Bukele identified Garcia as a reputed MS-13 member and human smuggler.
During a trip to El Salvador in April 2025, Van Hollen met with Garcia to attempt to secure his return to the U.S., a move Bukele and President Trump openly ridiculed at the time.
The exchange on social media drew immediate engagement. By Sunday morning, Bukele’s dismissal had garnered over 79,000 likes and 6.4 million views.
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