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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has reacted sharply to the increased US military presence in the Southern Caribbean, declaring that there is "no possibility" of US troops entering Venezuelan territory.
"There is no way they can enter Venezuela," Maduro said Thursday during a speech to military troops, stressing that his country is ready to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of what he described as a covert US operation under the pretext of fighting drug cartels in Latin America.
"We are stronger than yesterday. We are more prepared to defend peace and sovereignty," he added, according to the Venezuelan State News Agency.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, held an urgent meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, denouncing the US military buildup as a dangerous provocation.
"It's nothing more than a massive propaganda campaign to justify what experts call 'kinetic action', that is, military intervention," Moncada told reporters, adding with irony: " They're saying they're sending a nuclear submarine... think about it, who fights drug traffickers with nuclear submarines?! "
According to Reuters, a US official confirmed that seven US warships and a nuclear-powered submarine have been deployed or are expected to be deployed near Venezuelan waters. In total, more than 4,500 US troops are part of the operation, including about 2,200 Marines.
This development follows accusations from the Trump administration, which has declared the drug cartel "Cartel de los Soles" a terrorist organization and offered $50 million for the capture of Maduro, accusing him of links to international cocaine trafficking.
Faced with these threats, Caracas has launched a domestic counter-offensive by deploying warships and drones to patrol the coast, as well as mobilizing thousands of militia to strengthen defenses.
Venezuela has also deployed 15,000 troops to the border with Colombia to fight drug cartels and criminal groups. Maduro even thanked Bogota for adding 25,000 Colombian soldiers to the area, calling it an alliance to fight "narcoterrorist gangs."
While Washington has not made direct statements about an invasion, the bellicose rhetoric and US military presence in the region have significantly raised tensions - with a real risk of a major military escalation in the Western Hemisphere.
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