Venezuela Accuses US Amid Escalating Military Actions

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has launched a scathing accusation against the United States, alleging that Washington harbors intentions to “bomb and invade” the South American nation. This stark warning comes just ten days after Maduro cautioned then-President Trump against initiating an “Afghanistan-style ‘forever war'” in the region, coinciding with the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to nearby waters.

Speaking to CNN on November 14 outside the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, Maduro, 62, implored Trump to prioritize peace over conflict. “No more forever wars. No more unjust wars. No more Libya. No more Afghanistan. Long live peace,” he declared, pushing through throngs of cheering supporters. Earlier in the week, he had announced a “massive deployment” of Venezuela’s land, sea, air, river, and missile forces, complemented by civilian militia, specifically aimed at countering the increased US naval presence off his country’s coastline.

US Operations Intensify Off Venezuelan Coast

For the past two months, US forces have been steadily accumulating outside Venezuela’s maritime boundaries, conducting a series of lethal strikes against civilian vessels. These operations, mandated by the Trump White House, are justified under the banner of combating “narco-terrorists”—a designation seemingly applied to anyone suspected of involvement in drug trafficking near Latin American coastlines. Already, these preemptive military actions have resulted in the deaths of more than 80 individuals.

The escalating situation has emboldened military hardliners, often referred to as “war hawks,” who are openly advocating for expanded military intervention to oust the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, from power. This aggressive stance fuels concerns about a protracted conflict mirroring past engagements.

Broader Context: Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook

While the Trump administration’s second term was publicly characterized by a dizzying array of executive orders and divisive culture war rhetoric, an underlying, more cohesive strategy was reportedly at play. According to an opinion piece published this morning by Daniel Mendiola, a professor of Latin American history and migration studies at Vassar College, the administration was executing a calculated “authoritarian playbook.”

This strategic approach, Mendiola suggests, was designed to centralize and confer near-limitless powers to the presidency. These concerted efforts manifested across various policy domains, from stringent immigration policies to changes in higher education funding and economic regulations. The military actions off Venezuela’s coast, framed as anti-drug operations, align with this broader pattern of asserting executive authority and projecting power.

The ongoing military buildup and deadly strikes mark a dangerous escalation in US-Venezuela relations. With Maduro issuing grave warnings and the US intensifying its operations under a broad “narco-terrorist” label, the region braces for potential further conflict, echoing the very “forever wars” Maduro desperately seeks to avoid.

Source: The Guardian