Why it matters:
Mounting U.S. military presence in the Caribbean has escalated tensions with Venezuela. President Maduro responded directly, in English, rejecting war and reaffirming his country’s commitment to diplomacy.
The big picture:
The Trump administration has focused military operations on bombing boats, claiming they were carrying drugs from Venezuela and other Latin American countries.
Human rights groups denounce those strikes as extrajudicial killings of civilians.
The White House claims the U.S. is at war with drug cartels and judicial oversight is unnecessary in armed conflict.
What he's saying:
President Maduro pledged Venezuela would engage with any nation willing to talk, but warned against foreign aggression.
Maduro cited a letter from an evangelical pastor condemning bombings of Christian communities as an example of the dangers of military escalation.
President Donald Trump, for his part, said Monday he had not ruled out deploying American forces on Venezuelan soil.
The Pentagon announced Sunday (Nov. 16) that the Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, with 5,000 personnel and dozens of warplanes, had entered the Caribbean. It joins eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F‑35 jets already in the region.
What’s next:
The standoff highlights a volatile moment: Venezuela insists on dialogue, while U.S. military buildup raises the risk of direct confrontation.
Go deeper:
Maduro Slams Trinidad and Tobago’s Military Drills as “Threat to Caribbean Peace”
Hossein Amiri - Hossein Amiri
