The Chicago Teachers Union, the largest educators union in the Midwest, is once again stepping far beyond classrooms and contract negotiations, announcing it will lead a rally protesting U.S. foreign policy following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
The rally brings together the Chicago Teachers Union alongside at least a dozen other advocacy groups, including Students for Justice in Palestine. Organizers say the demonstration is intended to oppose what they describe as escalating U.S. militarism and to protest potential future military action in Venezuela.
The organizations will gather a day after President Donald Trump launched Operation Absolute Resolve, which resulted in the late night capture of Maduro, who was indicted by the Department of Justice’s Southern District of New York in 2020 for narco trafficking. (RELATED: Wisconsin Lawmakers Move to Fix ‘F’ Rating on Human Trafficking Laws)
While the Chicago Teachers Union represents thousands of educators and is ostensibly focused on public education, student outcomes, and working conditions in Chicago schools, the organization has increasingly positioned itself as a political activist group on national and international issues unrelated to teaching. The Maduro protest is the latest example of the union leveraging its institutional power to weigh in on foreign policy debates.
Despite the union’s claims, the Trump administration has stated that the operation does not signal broader military involvement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that the United States is not at war with Venezuela and has no plans for further military action.
“There is not a war. We are at war against drug trafficking, not against Venezuela,” Rubio told NBC News. “We don’t have U.S. forces on the ground in Venezuela. We had U.S. forces on the ground for about two hours.” (RELATED: Wisconsin Judge Found Guilty of Obstruction in High-Profile Immigration Case)
Nevertheless, protests opposing the operation have already erupted in cities across the Midwest, including Minneapolis and Chicago. The Chicago Teachers Union has promoted the rally on social media, framing the Maduro capture as part of a broader pattern of U.S. interventionism.
Democratic leaders have echoed some of the criticism. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he contacted the president to oppose the operation, citing concerns about regime change and international law. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the action as “reckless,” despite calling Maduro an “illegitimate dictator.”
As classrooms across Chicago continue to face challenges ranging from declining test scores to chronic absenteeism, critics argue the teachers union’s growing focus on global politics raises questions about priorities. With today’s rally, the Chicago Teachers Union is again asserting itself not just as an educators organization, but as a major political actor far removed from the classroom.