Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has dismissed growing concerns about a potential US invasion, asserting that there is “no way” American forces could enter the country despite a significant US naval buildup near Venezuela’s territorial waters.
“Today, we are stronger than yesterday. Today, we are more prepared to defend peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Maduro told troops in a speech delivered in Caracas.
The US Navy has deployed a fleet of vessels and thousands of troops to the Caribbean, allegedly aimed at combating Latin American drug cartels. Admiral Daryl Claude, the US Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations, confirmed that the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying more than 4,500 US service members including some 2,200 Marines, have arrived in the region.
In addition, US military aircraft, including P-8 spy planes, have been flying in international airspace to gather intelligence. Eight US warships and a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine are either already present or expected to arrive in the coming days.
Last week, US Navy sources said three Aegis-class guided missile destroyers were being sent to waters near Venezuela.
The volume of US military deployment in the region, falsely justified as an operation against drug cartels, has raised eyebrows, with critics questioning whether such a large-scale presence is proportionate to the stated mission.
In response, Caracas has mobilized its own defenses. Venezuela has deployed warships and drones along its coastline to monitor the approaching US naval presence. The government has also launched a campaign to recruit more troops to bolster its military readiness.
“Our diplomacy isn’t the diplomacy of cannons, of threats, because the world cannot be the world of 100 years ago,” Maduro said. Yet, he emphasized the country’s resolve to defend itself if necessary.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the deployment of 15,000 troops to the western states of Zulia and Táchira, which share a border with Colombia.
The move is part of Caracas’s broader efforts to combat drug trafficking and criminal gangs, which the government says threaten national security.
“Here, we do fight drug trafficking; here, we do fight drug cartels on all fronts,” Cabello said. He noted that Venezuelan authorities have seized 53 tons of narcotics so far this year, highlighting the government’s commitment to tackling the issue internally.
On the diplomatic front, 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” intended to justify what he termed “kinetic action” — a euphemism for military intervention.
“They are saying that they are sending a nuclear submarine … I mean, it’s ridiculous to think that they’re fighting drug trafficking with nuclear submarines,” Moncada said. He insisted that Venezuela poses no threat to other countries and criticized the US narrative used to legitimize its military presence.
Maduro on Thursday extended his appreciation to Colombia for sending an additional 25,000 troops to the Colombia-Venezuela border to combat “narco-terrorist gangs,” indicating a shared regional concern about drug trafficking.
At the same time, he said Washington is seeking to destabilize Venezuela. “I am confident that we will overcome this test that life has imposed on us, this imperialist threat to the peace of the continent and to our country,” he said.
The US and Venezuela have long been at odds, with Washington backing opposition leaders and imposing sanctions aimed at pressuring Maduro’s government.
Caracas, however, insists its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and rejects unwarranted foreign interference.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
