Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro delivered a defiant address in Caracas earlier this week, brandishing a sword and warning supporters to prepare for confrontation with what he called "imperialist aggression" as President Donald Trump said the United States will "very soon" begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.
Maduro appeared at a mass rally in the capital holding the sword of Simón Bolívar, the 19th-century independence leader regarded as the liberator of much of South America. Maduro told supporters that the country was facing a decisive moment.
The Associated Press reported him saying that, "For anyone, whether civilian, politician, military, or police. Let no one make excuses. Failure is not an option. The homeland demands it! Our greatest effort and sacrifice. And with (Simon) Bolívar, I come to say that if the homeland demands it, the homeland will have our lives, if necessary," he declared while raising Bolívar’s sword.
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Maduro framed the situation as a struggle against what he described as external threats, urging Venezuelans to mobilize against any foreign aggression.
The address came as tensions have risen following months of U.S. maritime strikes that Washington says targeted vessels used by drug traffickers.
Reuters has reported that more than 80 people have been killed since September, and a separate Reuters report on Friday detailed heightened surveillance and security crackdowns in coastal communities where the strikes occurred.
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Speaking on Thanksgiving to U.S. service members, Trump said the United States will expand its efforts from sea interdiction to land operations. "In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many. Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore. Have you probably noticed that?" Trump said.
He added that maritime operations have already stopped an estimated 85% of drugs arriving by sea. "You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon."
Trump said traffickers are responsible for "hundreds of thousands of people a year" dying from the "poisons" brought into the United States. "We warn them, stop sending poison to our country," he said.
Earlier this month, Trump said he had not ruled out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela as part of the administration’s crackdown on criminal networks tied to senior figures in Caracas. "No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything," he said.
He also left room for talks. "We may be having some conversations with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk," Trump told reporters over the weekend.
Since early September, U.S. strikes across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have destroyed dozens of vessels. U.S. officials say many were linked to Venezuelan and Colombian criminal groups.
