Earlier this week, during a defiant speech in Caracas, Maduro brandished a sword and urged supporters to ready themselves for a clash with what he termed “imperialist aggression.” This came as President Donald Trump announced that the United States would “very soon” commence intercepting suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.
Maduro attended a large rally in the capital, holding the sword of Simón Bolívar, the 19th-century independence figure recognized as the liberator of much of South America. He informed supporters that the nation was confronting a critical period.
As reported by The Associated Press, he stated, “For anyone, civilian, politician, military, or police. Let no one offer excuses. Failure is not an option. The homeland requires it! Our utmost effort and sacrifice. And with (Simon) Bolívar, I declare that should the homeland demand it, the homeland shall have our lives, if needed,” as he lifted Bolívar’s sword.
Maduro presented the situation as a battle against what he characterized as outside threats, calling on Venezuelans to mobilize in opposition to any foreign aggression.
The speech occurred amid heightened tensions, which have escalated after months of operations that Washington asserts were aimed at vessels utilized by drug traffickers.
Reuters has indicated that over 80 individuals have died since September, and a separate report released Friday outlined increased surveillance and security crackdowns in the coastal areas where the strikes took place.
While speaking to U.S. service members on Thanksgiving, Trump declared that the United States would extend its anti-drug efforts from maritime interdiction to land-based operations. “In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of whom there are many. Naturally, not too many are now arriving by sea. Have you probably noticed that?” Trump remarked.
He further noted that naval operations have already intercepted an estimated 85% of drugs transported by sea. “You’ve likely observed that people are now reluctant to deliver by sea, and we will commence stopping them by land as well. Land operations are simpler, but that will begin very soon.”
Trump asserted that traffickers are accountable for “hundreds of thousands of people annually” dying from the “poisons” introduced into the United States. He cautioned, “We warn them, cease sending poison to our nation.”
Earlier this month, Trump stated he had not dismissed military action as part of the administration’s intensified campaign against criminal networks connected to senior figures in Caracas. “No, I do not rule that out, I rule out nothing,” he commented.
“We might be having some discussions with Maduro, and we will observe the outcome. They have expressed a desire to talk,” Trump informed journalists over the weekend.
Since early September, U.S. officials indicate that American strikes across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have targeted numerous groups believed to be linked to Venezuelan and Colombian criminal organizations.