President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro If South American countries are attacked by troops, said Monday The U.S. government has deployed Go to the Caribbean.
Maduro claims eight U.S. military ships with “1,200 missiles” targeted his country, calling them “the biggest threat on our continent in the past 100 years,” according to AFP.
His comments at the press conference are coming as the U.S. government will raise its Maritime forces in waters near Venezuela Fight against the threat of drug cartels in Latin America. The United States has not yet proposed any planned land invasion to thousands of people deploying. Despite this, Maduro's government Respond by deploying troops Along its coast and borders with neighboring Colombia and urging Venezuelans to enlist.
“In the face of the greatest military pressure, we declared the greatest preparation for the defense of Venezuela,” Maduro said of the deployment.
The U.S. Navy now has two guided traditional destroyers – USS Serious, Jason Dunham – in the Caribbean Sea and destroyers Sampson and cruisers The USS Lake Erie aircraft carrier In the waters near Latin America. The military presence will expand.
A defense official told the Associated Press that three amphibious assault ships will enter the area this week, which will enter the area to describe the ongoing action.
The deployment was due to President Trump's push for General General's military to thwart the cartel, who blamed fentanyl and other illegal drugs on the American community and continued violence in some U.S. cities.
Washington accuses Maduro of leading the drug cartel The bounty has doubled His capture reached $50 million. However, the United States does not pose a public threat to the invasion of Venezuela.
Mr. Trump directs the Pentagon Use military power The Latin American drug cartel is considered a terrorist group, a source familiar with the matter earlier this month.
Among the eight Latin American drug trafficking organizations under the Trump administration Designated as a terrorist organizationOne is Venezuela. It is not clear whether the military can take action.
On Monday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil quoted a UN report saying that his colleagues in various countries in Latin America said the deployment of U.S. maritime forces was based on “false narratives” as 87% of cocaine produced in Colombia set out through the Pacific and traffickers in an attempt to migrate 5% of the products through Venezuela. Bolivia and Colombia, which have access to the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, is the world's largest producer of cocaine.
Gill added that the narrative “threatening the entire region” and the attack on Venezuela actually means total instability in the region”.
He added at a virtual meeting of the group community in Latin America and the Caribbean region: “Let’s ask for an end to this deployment immediately, with no reason other than threatening the sovereign people.”
Maduro also used his press conference to insist that he was the legal champion of last year's presidential election. However, sufficient and reliable evidence has shown that several countries, including the United States, do not recognize Maduro as the president of Venezuela.
Maduro was sworn in until his 36th year in January, adding that his administration had maintained two communications with the Trump administration, one with the State Department and the other with Mr. Trump’s Trump envoy, Richard Grenell. He called Secretary of State Marco Rubio a “warlord” to push the Caribbean to take action and overthrow the Venezuelan government.
Since the presidential election in July 2024, Venezuela's political opposition has been urging the United States and other countries to put pressure on Maduro to serve. Its leader María Corina Machado thanked Trump and Mr. Rubio for their deployment last month, describing it as the “right way” to the Venezuelan government, which she described as a “criminal enterprise.”
However, Maduro warned on Monday that U.S. military operations against Venezuela will “smudge “Mr. Trump's “bloody hand.”
“President Donald Trump, the pursuit of regime change has been exhausted; it is a policy globally,” Maduro said. “You can't pretend to implement the situation in Venezuela.”