Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday said his country is facing the biggest threat from the United States but vowed that his government will not bow to outside pressure. Speaking during a rare press conference in Caracas, Maduro accused Washington of escalating tensions in South America with aggressive military deployments.
Maduro said the US naval buildup in the Southern Caribbean and nearby waters posed the most serious challenge the region had seen in a century.
“Venezuela is confronting the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years,” Maduro told reporters. “A situation like this has never been seen.”
The Venezuelan leader alleged that eight US warships equipped with “1,200 missiles” were stationed near Venezuelan waters, calling it an “absolutely criminal, bloody threat.”
Despite the show of force, Maduro insisted that Venezuela would stand firm. “Our country is peaceful, but we will not bow to threats,” he said.
The United States has defended its military activity in the region, arguing that the deployment is aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks across Latin America. President Donald Trump has made a crackdown on cartels a signature policy of his administration, tying it to pushing efforts to reduce illegal migration.
American officials have long accused Venezuela’s leadership of facilitating narcotics shipments. They argue that the country has become a hub for organised crime, working with armed groups to move drugs through the Caribbean and into North America.
However, Venezuelan officials rejected these claims, calling them a pretext for intervention. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello joined Maduro in denouncing Washington’s actions, saying the US was seeking justification for a possible attack.
STRAINED RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON
Relations between Caracas and Washington have been in deep freeze for years, worsened by the US refusal to recognise Maduro’s last two re-elections in 2018 and 2024.
Maduro lamented the absence of dialogue with the US government, describing the collapse of diplomatic channels as dangerous for the region. He declared that Venezuela “will never give in to blackmail nor threats of any kind.”
The United States has intensified its pressure campaign on Maduro in recent months. In August, Washington doubled its reward for information leading to his arrest, raising the bounty to $50 million. The move came alongside allegations that Maduro and his inner circle were linked to drug trafficking networks and criminal organisations.
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With inputs from Reuters