Venezuela on Maximum Alert Amid US Military Presence

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared on Monday that eight US military vessels, armed with 1,200 missiles, are targeting his country. He announced that Venezuela is in a state of “maximum readiness to defend” itself.

The United States, which accuses Maduro of leading a drug cartel, has announced the deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean in what it describes as an anti-drug trafficking operation. No official invasion has been threatened.

During a meeting with international media in Caracas, Maduro warned of “the greatest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years”, citing eight military ships and a submarine targeting Venezuela.

Maduro added that over eight million Venezuelans have enlisted as reservists, and Caracas has announced increased patrols of its territorial waters.

Meanwhile, Washington has doubled its bounty on Maduro to $50 million. His re-election in 2018 and 2024 has not been recognised by the United States or much of the international community amid allegations of fraud and voter suppression.

Known for his fiery, anti-US rhetoric, Maduro stated that communication lines with the United States have broken down. He vowed that Venezuela “will never give in to blackmail or threats of any kind.”

At the press conference, he accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of attempting to lead former President Donald Trump “into a bloodbath… with a massacre against the people of Venezuela.”

The US military deployment has received approval from Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, who called it “anything to eliminate any threat to our security.”

• Border Dispute: Venezuela and Guyana are engaged in a long-standing dispute over the Essequibo region, rich in oil, which comprises two-thirds of Guyana’s territory but is claimed by Venezuela.
• Oil Discoveries: The rhetoric has intensified since ExxonMobil discovered massive oil deposits off the Essequibo coast a decade ago.

Maduro has been a target of US policy since Trump’s first term (2017–2021). The Trump administration pursued a maximum pressure strategy, including an oil embargo, which failed to dislodge Maduro.

Analysts suggest the current US deployment is unlikely to trigger invasion or direct attack, but is designed to increase political pressure. Maduro has repeatedly accused Trump of seeking regime change.

Last week, Caracas petitioned the United Nations for intervention, demanding “the immediate cessation of the US military deployment in the Caribbean.”

On Monday, Maduro emphasised that Venezuela is ready for “a period of armed struggle in defense of the national territory” in the event of an attack.