Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro defied the U.S. on Tuesday, saying that Washington “cannot defeat" his country, which he said is “invincible” amid the escalation of tensions in the southern Caribbean.
Speaking on a television program, Maduro thanked “everyone who has courageously supported” Venezuela in recent weeks. “Despite the psychological and political warfare we have been subjected to for months, we are receiving an indescribable amount of support messages,” he said.
The remarks came a day after the U.S. designated the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles – which Washington alleges is run by Maduro and senior officials – as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The move followed a significant U.S. military buildup in the region, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and F-35 fighter jets.
Tensions between the two countries have risen sharply since U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a military deployment to the Caribbean in August, citing the need to target drug cartels and disrupt trafficking routes Washington claims are linked to Maduro. Caracas has rejected the allegations, calling the terror designation “ridiculous” and saying the so-called organization “does not exist,” accusing the U.S. of seeking a pretext to justify intervention and force regime change.
