Is Venezuela the next target of the U.S. Empire?

Trump vs Maduro
Pic.: YouTube

Caracas has already mobilized millions of soldiers and militiamen in response to Washington’s “outlandish threats” while President Donald Trump has deployed several warships and thousands of Marines to the southern Caribbean – just miles off the coast of Venezuela. The provocative mission was launched under the guise of an anti-narcotics crusade, but risks disastrous outcomes for both countries.

While a war with Venezuela might seem unlikely, the move is sure to radically escalate tensions with the Latin American state, and in the worst-case scenario could become a trip-wire for direct conflict with Caracas.

According to a recent New York Times report, the president has signed a secret directive authorizing military action against drug cartels designated as “terrorist” groups, having added several drug gangs to the terror blacklist since February. The new operation in the Caribbean is almost certainly based on that order.

One US official reached by Reuters earlier this week suggested the naval mission might involve lethal force, saying the warships could be used not only for “intelligence and surveillance operations, but also as a launching pad for targeted strikes.”

The deployment will include at least 4,000 sailors and Marines, and a wide range of military assets: three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, transport vessels, an amphibious assault ship, as well as a nuclear-powered attack submarine and P8 Poseidon reconnaissance planes.

That’s a lot of soldiers and hardware for a few drug busts, raising questions about how such an arsenal might be used in practice – and who it is intended for. (Granted, any major operation against Venezuela would require a much larger force, with the US’s 1989 invasion of Panama involving well over 25,000 troops.)

The latest criminal gang blacklisted by the Trump administration is the Venezuelan “Cartel de los Soles” (Cartel of the Suns), which was sanctioned by the Treasury in July. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that President Nicolas Maduro is the group’s “leader,” while top Venezuelan officials and military officers have long been accused of deep ties to the organization.

However, Washington has offered many allegations but little public evidence of Maduro’s supposed role in the group, and the often-repeated claims about senior officials are likely overstated.

The latest military action in the Caribbean carries great risks of escalation with Caracas – up to and including a new hot war that’d devastate the region, squander US blood and treasure, and drive an unprecedented surge of immigration into the United States, among other unforeseeable consequences.

Already, Venezuela appears to be preparing for the worst, with Maduro mobilizing millions of militia fighters in response to the US deployment while condemning Washington for “bizarre and outlandish threats.” This comes just weeks after the State Department boosted its bounty on the leader’s head to $50 million.

President Maduro with the Venezuelan flag at a mass rally.
Photo: albaciudad.org

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros delivered a defiant speech Friday during the “Act in Defense of Sovereignty and Peace of Venezuela, Latin America and the Caribbean,” held in the Elliptical Hall of the Federal Legislative Palace in Caracas. Addressing lawmakers, military leaders, and civil society representatives, Maduro declared Venezuela “untouchable,” asserting that “nothing and no one will touch the homeland.”

Referencing the legacy of Bolívar and other independence leaders, Maduro emphasized that Venezuela’s true wealth lies not in its oil, gold, or gas, but in its “moral, spiritual, and ethical heritage.” He called on all Venezuelans to set aside political differences, declaring, “This is not a time for colors or divisions. One flag shelters us all: yellow, blue, and red.”

The president also expressed gratitude for international support, particularly from Russia, China, Iran, and ALBA-TCP member states, which have condemned U.S. threats and reaffirmed the 2014 declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. “Whoever threatens one country in Latin America threatens them all,” Maduro warned, urging regional unity against foreign aggression.

The speech follows Venezuela’s mobilization of over four million militia members in response to U.S. military movements in the Caribbean Sea. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López stated that the militia is prepared to defend “every inch” of national territory.

Maduro’s message aligns with statements made earlier this week at the ALBA-TCP summit, where he called on Latin American nations and social movements to unite in defense of Venezuela’s right to peace and self-determination. The summit concluded with a joint condemnation of U.S. “imperialist and destabilizing policies.”

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