FLASH
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Tensions are high again in the Caribbean with the arrival of the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier under the Pentagon's command, which is ready to join its strike group, made up of over four thousand sailors and dozens of fighter jets. " These are decisive hours for my country. What is happening is not only a national event, but a turning point for all of Latin America ," said opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado yesterday, connecting via videoconference to an event in Miami.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is not recognized by most of the international community as president after the recent rigged elections, has responded by mobilizing the army and “volunteers”: over 200,000 men, according to Caracas, but far fewer, according to analysts’ estimates. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, a key figure in the paramilitary regime that governs the country, has declared a general state of alert and activated a comprehensive defense plan to protect “sensitive infrastructure such as electricity, water, gas, food supplies, service stations, transportation and major communication routes.”
Venezuela is reportedly preparing for a US invasion, imitating the widespread guerrilla strategy that proved successful in Vietnam. According to state television, Caracas is ready for a “prolonged resistance,” with small military units engaged in tactical and sabotage operations in over 280 locations across the vast country. Cold War fears and threats are returning to the region: Moscow, Caracas’ strategic ally, has sent the first shipments to strengthen Venezuela’s air defense systems.
The United Nations has expressed “deep concern” about tensions between the United States and Venezuela, calling for a diplomatic initiative that could lead to a de-escalation. The concern has also been palpable for days at the UN climate summit underway in Belém, Brazil, where on Tuesday, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s bombing of suspected drug ships that killed at least 76 people off the coast of Venezuela. “It was horrific to see the U.S. military blow up ships without any transparency, without consulting or getting the consent of the United States Congress. What happened to due process? What happened to the rule of law?” said the governor, who may already be looking toward the 2028 presidential election.
Maduro, seeking new international support, yesterday addressed an open letter to the heads of state and government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, who met in Colombia. In it, he denounced the threats to Venezuela's sovereignty and called for joint efforts to protect Latin America as a zone of peace. "Venezuela will not accept any kind of control," Maduro wrote.
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