Venezuela‘s President Nicolas Maduro has warned that his country is prepared to defend its sovereignty as the US military builds up its presence in the Southern Caribbean.
The US has deployed seven warships, including one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, and more than 4,500 service members to the region in an operation aimed at disrupting large-scale drug trafficking operations.
Maduro said that there was “no way” the US could invade Venezuela, citing the country’s military preparedness. “Today, we are stronger than yesterday. Today, we are more prepared to defend peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Maduro said in a speech to troops.
The US military buildup has sparked concerns of potential military intervention in Venezuela. Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to protest the US military buildup, calling it a “massive propaganda operation” to justify military intervention.
“It’s a massive propaganda operation to justify what the experts call kinetic action – meaning military intervention in a country which is a sovereign and independent country and is no threat to anyone,” Moncada said.
The US has accused Maduro and other members of his government of links to cocaine trafficking. The Trump administration has designated the Cartel de los Soles, a Venezuelan cocaine trafficking organization, as a terrorist organization and accused Maduro of leading it. The US is offering a $50m reward for Maduro’s capture over alleged drug offenses.
In response to the US threats, Venezuela has sent warships and drones to patrol its coastline and launched a drive to recruit thousands of militia members to bolster domestic defenses. Caracas has also deployed 15,000 troops to its borders with Colombia to crack down on drug trafficking and other criminal gangs.
The tensions between the US and Venezuela come as Colombia has sent an additional 25,000 military personnel to the Colombia-Venezuela frontier to tackle “narco-terrorist gangs”.
Maduro thanked Colombia for its efforts, but the move has also raised concerns about the potential for further escalation in the region.
The US has not made any public threats to invade Venezuela, but Trump has made several statements threatening action against the country.
Maduro has accused Washington of seeking to implement regime change in Venezuela. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the US and Venezuela will proceed.
In the midst of these tensions, the Venezuelan government has been bolstering its military presence and preparing its citizens for potential conflict.
The international community will be watching closely to see how the situation develops and whether diplomacy can prevail over military action.