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Venezuela is facing the biggest threat seen in South America in a century but will not bow to it, President Nicolas Maduro said
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference in Caracas on September 1, 2025. (AFP photo)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday claimed that eight US military vessels, armed with “1,200 missiles,” were targeting his country.
Maduro called the presence of these ships as an “absolutely criminal, bloody threat” and warned of the “greatest danger seen on our continent in the last 100 years.”
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The United States, which accuses Maduro of leading a drug cartel, has sent a naval task force to the southern Caribbean as part of an anti-drug trafficking operation. However, Washington has made no public threats of invading Venezuela.
At a rare press conference in Caracas, Maduro said the military build-up involved “eight warships and a submarine targeting Venezuela” and vowed that the country would not bow to intimidation. He added that in response to “maximum military pressure,” Venezuela had declared “maximum readiness” to defend itself.
Maduro also said Caracas would patrol its territorial waters and mobilise more than four million militia members to counter the US “threats.”
“A situation like this has never been seen,” Maduro said, addressing journalists, officials, and members of the military.
The Venezuelan president, whose last two re-elections in 2018 and 2024 were not recognised by the US or much of the international community, lamented the breakdown of communication channels with Washington. He vowed Venezuela “will never give in to blackmail nor threats of any kind.”
During the press conference, Maduro also issued a sharp warning to US President Donald Trump, accusing Secretary of State Marco Rubio of trying to “lead him into a bloodbath… with a massacre against the people of Venezuela.”
Tensions between the US and Venezuela have grown recently amid the increased US naval presence in the region. US officials say the deployment is aimed at combating Latin American drug cartels that pose a threat to the US southern border. Tackling drug trafficking has been a key focus of US President Donald Trump’s administration.
However, Maduro, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and other government officials have condemned the deployment, suggesting it is part of a wider plan to justify a possible intervention against Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has consistently rejected US claims that it plays a central role in international drug trafficking. In early August, the US doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing allegations of drug trafficking and ties to criminal groups.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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