Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has vowed to defy any US attempt to overthrow his government – telling crowds that “failure is not an option”.
The 63-year-old brandished a sword as he addressed supporters during a march in Caracas, against a backdrop of growing tensions with Donald Trump’s administration.
Dressed in camouflage fatigues, Mr Maduro said: “We must be ready to defend every inch of this blessed land from imperialist threat or aggression, no matter where it comes from.”
Since September, US military forces have been conducting a series of strikes against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in international waters, killing at least 80 people.
Washington has claimed that several of these boats had departed from Venezuela, with Mr Maduro describing the deployment as an assault on the nation’s sovereignty.
‘Stop this madness’
Yesterday, Cuba also accused the US of seeking a violent overthrow of Mr Maduro’s government – and called its military presence in the region “exaggerated and aggressive”.
The country’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, said ousting Venezuela’s leader would be extremely dangerous and irresponsible, not to mention a violation of international law.
He added: “We appeal to the people of the United States to stop this madness. The US government could cause an incalculable number of deaths and create a scenario of violence and instability in the hemisphere that would be unimaginable.”
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Reports suggest the US is planning to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days.
Critics have questioned the legality of America’s campaign and argue it amounts to extrajudicial killings, with a recent poll suggesting just 29% of voters support this policy.
Officials within Maduro’s government have claimed that Washington’s actions are being driven by economic motives.
Venezuelan minister Delcy Rodriguez said: “They want Venezuela’s oil and gas reserves. For nothing, without paying. They want Venezuela’s gold.
“They want Venezuela’s diamonds, iron, bauxite. They want Venezuela’s natural resources.”
Donald Trump, like his predecessor Joe Biden, does not recognise Mr Maduro as the country’s leader.
He is currently on his third term after being declared the winner of last year’s presidential election, despite evidence that the opposition defeated him by a two-to-one margin.
Mr Maduro and senior officials have been repeatedly accused of human rights violations against real and perceived government opponents.
Earlier this week, the US designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles – Cartel of the Suns in English – as a foreign terrorist organisation for importing illegal drugs to the States.
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The Trump administration has claimed that Maduro is part of this group, but Venezuelan officials have described its mere existence as a “ridiculous fabrication”.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he travelled to Florida for Thanksgiving, the president suggested he might be planning to talk to Mr Maduro.
“If we can save lives, if we can do things the easy way, that’s fine,” the US president said. “And if we have to do it the hard way, then that’s fine too.”
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Carlos Diaz Rosillo, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defence during the first Trump administration, does not believe America will go to war with Venezuela.
He told The World With Dominic Waghorn: “What I do see is a strategy of maximum pressure on the regime. I do think if there’s any change, that change has to come from within the military.”
Dr Rosillo said the official position of the US government is not regime change, but Mr Trump would like to see that happen in Venezuela.
