The US Military's Response to Civilian Casualties in Venezuela Leaves Much to be Desired.
US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the military unit responsible for operations in Latin America, is struggling to cope with a surge in civilian casualty reports stemming from its January 3 attack on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. According to two government officials, SOUTHCOM lacks the necessary personnel and mechanisms to handle such reports.
Instead, the Pentagon itself has taken over the process of accepting these reports. The Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which was established to mitigate civilian harm in military operations, is now handling these reports. This move comes as a result of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's efforts to "gut" programs aimed at reducing civilian casualties.
Experts and lawmakers have expressed concern about the impact of this move on accountability and transparency in military operations. The Pentagon has failed to respond to questions from The Intercept regarding civilian casualties during Operation Absolute Resolve, despite repeated requests for information.
Airwars, a watchdog group based in the UK, has reported seven incidents in which civilians were killed or injured, or civilian infrastructure was damaged as a result of the US airstrikes. These reports are being sent directly to the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, bypassing SOUTHCOM altogether.
The US military's actions in Venezuela have been widely condemned by experts and lawmakers, who argue that the attacks violate international law and pose a threat to human rights. The Biden administration has failed to take decisive action against these abuses, sparking concerns about its commitment to upholding democratic values and protecting civilians from harm.
In 2022, the Pentagon unveiled a comprehensive plan for preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian casualties, but this effort appears to have been undercut by Secretary Hegseth's actions. The Center for Civilians in Conflict has expressed concern that SOUTHCOM lacks the necessary resources and expertise to adequately address civilian harm, and that the Pentagon's response is woefully inadequate.
In a devastating year for journalism, The Intercept is fighting back against the Trump administration's attacks on the free press. But to do so effectively, it needs your support. Join us in expanding our reporting capacity to hit the ground running in 2026.
US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the military unit responsible for operations in Latin America, is struggling to cope with a surge in civilian casualty reports stemming from its January 3 attack on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. According to two government officials, SOUTHCOM lacks the necessary personnel and mechanisms to handle such reports.
Instead, the Pentagon itself has taken over the process of accepting these reports. The Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which was established to mitigate civilian harm in military operations, is now handling these reports. This move comes as a result of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's efforts to "gut" programs aimed at reducing civilian casualties.
Experts and lawmakers have expressed concern about the impact of this move on accountability and transparency in military operations. The Pentagon has failed to respond to questions from The Intercept regarding civilian casualties during Operation Absolute Resolve, despite repeated requests for information.
Airwars, a watchdog group based in the UK, has reported seven incidents in which civilians were killed or injured, or civilian infrastructure was damaged as a result of the US airstrikes. These reports are being sent directly to the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, bypassing SOUTHCOM altogether.
The US military's actions in Venezuela have been widely condemned by experts and lawmakers, who argue that the attacks violate international law and pose a threat to human rights. The Biden administration has failed to take decisive action against these abuses, sparking concerns about its commitment to upholding democratic values and protecting civilians from harm.
In 2022, the Pentagon unveiled a comprehensive plan for preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian casualties, but this effort appears to have been undercut by Secretary Hegseth's actions. The Center for Civilians in Conflict has expressed concern that SOUTHCOM lacks the necessary resources and expertise to adequately address civilian harm, and that the Pentagon's response is woefully inadequate.
In a devastating year for journalism, The Intercept is fighting back against the Trump administration's attacks on the free press. But to do so effectively, it needs your support. Join us in expanding our reporting capacity to hit the ground running in 2026.
this whole thing feels like a mess 
and southcom doesn't seem to be handling things properly 
they need more staff or training or something lol wouldn't that just require some extra budget tho 
? anyway, gotta say though, it's pretty concerning that the pentagon is now taking care of these reports themselves 
what exactly are they hiding 
they're just shifting the blame to someone else like a big ol' blame game 
and it's so shady that they're not taking responsibility for their own actions, it's like they're trying to sweep it under the rug 
reporting civilian casualties directly to Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, bypassing SOUTHCOM 
trying to "gut" programs aimed at reducing civilian casualties 
being ignored in favor of military operations 
also, lets not forget that other countries have their own share of civilian casualties too... we cant just focus on the US all the time. im not saying they shouldnt be held accountable but let's give them a break 4 now 
especially when you consider how many times they've been accused of violating international law and harming civilians. it's like, what's going on here? 
meanwhile, experts and lawmakers are just shaking their heads because this move only adds to the lack of transparency 
Can you believe the US military can't even handle civilian casualties on their own? It's like they're playing a game of "Military Mission Impossible" 
. And now, it's like they're outsourcing the problem to the Pentagon... because, you know, that's exactly what the Pentagon was made for - not handling civilians' problems 
. Seriously though, it's all just a big mess...
so the us military can't even handle civilian casualties in venezuela and now they're just passing everything on to the pentagon 
anyway, it's so frustrating when ppl in power dont listen to experts and lawmakers... i feel bad for the people affected by these attacks 
. And it's like, what even happened during that January 3 attack on Maduro? The Pentagon won't tell us anything 
. It's so concerning that Secretary Hegseth is basically gutting programs aimed at reducing civilian casualties... I get why you wanna cut costs and all, but this isn't the time for that 
. They're holding the US military accountable and it's about time someone did 
. This whole situation is just a huge mess, and I'm not buying that the Biden admin is committed to upholding democratic values... we need more action, not just words 
.
and prioritize civilian protection above all else 
.
what really gets me is that pete hegseth is tryna "gut" programs aimed at reducin civilian casualties lol like how does u do that? 
which just means more bureaucratic red tape and less accountability. i'm so done with this whole situation and i think it's super irresponsible that nobody seems to be holding anyone accountable for these human rights violations 
. The US military needs to step up their game and take responsibility for what's happening on the ground. I'm all about layout and structure, but when it comes to human rights, that's gotta be a priority too 
.
I'm low-key shocked that the US military can't handle civilian casualties on their own... like, I get it, mistakes happen, but this is a whole different level 
. The Biden admin needs to step up their game and demand some real answers here