US President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed the idea of the United States pursuing regime change in Venezuela, even as Washington ordered an additional 10 F-35 stealth fighter jets to the southern Caribbean amid rising tensions.
“We’re not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election, to put it mildly,” Trump told reporters, referring to the contested 2024 Venezuelan election that President Nicolas Maduro claims he won.
Trump’s comments came after Maduro accused the US of plotting “regime change through military threat,” urging Washington to “respect sovereignty, the right to peace, to independence.” Maduro added, “I respect Trump. None of the differences we’ve had can lead to a military conflict. Venezuela has always been willing to converse, to dialogue.”
US MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE CARIBBEAN
The deployment of 10 additional F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield adds to an already significant US military presence, which includes at least seven warships and more than 4,500 sailors and Marines in the southern Caribbean.
Trump warned that Venezuelan jets posing a threat could be shot down, saying, “If they do put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down.” The Pentagon had previously described a Venezuelan fighter jet flight near a US Navy warship on Thursday as “highly provocative.”
TRUMP LINKS MADURO TO DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Maduro of ties to drug trafficking, specifically alleging he runs the Tren de Aragua gang, designated a terrorist organisation by the US in February. Maduro has denied any connection, claiming the group was neutralised by a 2023 prison raid.
Trump has justified military actions in the Caribbean by likening the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans from overdoses to war casualties. “Think if you’re in a war and you lose 300,000 … We’re not going to allow it to happen,” he said, framing the crackdown on drug trafficking as part of a broader national security effort.
The newly deployed F-35 jets are expected to arrive in the Caribbean by late next week. US Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have also been conducting amphibious and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico.
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
Tune In