"I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do with Venezuela," Trump said.
The days of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela are numbered. With this phrase, US President Donald Trump indicated the next steps for the US in Latin America. When asked if the US was going to declare war on Venezuela, Trump replied, "I doubt it. I don't think so." However, when asked if Maduro's days as president are numbered, Trump responded, "I would say yes. I think so."
Trump also appeared to dismiss multiple recent reports suggesting the US military is preparing to attack military targets allegedly linked to drug cartels within Venezuela and could do so within days, although he did not rule it out entirely.
"I wouldn't say I'm going to do that," he stated. "I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do with Venezuela."
Rising tensions in US-Venezuela relations
Tensions between the two countries have escalated since August, when the Trump administration doubled the reward for Maduro's capture, reaching $50 million on drug trafficking charges, and then deployed a ready-to-deploy Amphibious Ready Group with thousands of Marines near the Caribbean Sea, in a so-called "counter-narcoterrorism operation."
In recent days, the escalation of the US presence in the region has continued, as the US naval presence in the Caribbean was reinforced with an entire Carrier Strike Group.
The US military has already carried out 15 attacks against vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 61 people. The latest raid, which was announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 2, took place in the Caribbean.
"This vessel—like EVERY OTHER ONE—was known by our intelligence agencies to be involved in illicit drug smuggling, was moving along a known narco-trafficking route, and was carrying narcotics.
Three individuals, members of narco-terrorist groups, were on board the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters. All three terrorists were killed, and no US forces sustained damage from this attack," Pete Hegseth said on X.
"These narco-terrorists are bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans and they will not succeed. The Department will deal with them EXACTLY as we dealt with Al Qaeda. We will continue to track them, map them, hunt them, and kill them," he added.
Indications of aggression from the US
Despite Trump's efforts to keep his stance ambiguous, more and more signs of an impending US attack on Venezuela appear daily.
A report published by Reuters on November 2 reveals that the US military is upgrading and reconstructing facilities at a military base in Puerto Rico, close to Venezuela.
The news agency reported that it received satellite images showing renovation work at the Roosevelt Roads base, which was previously used for military purposes. It was also noted that the US is constructing facilities at civilian airports in Puerto Rico and St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands, about 500 kilometers from Venezuela.
Venezuela prepares for attack
In the prospect of an attack from the US, Venezuela has already begun preparations, deploying defensive systems and conducting military exercises focused on the decentralization of its forces.
The US strategy for regime change
The US is clearly interested in regime change in Venezuela, which Trump's latest statements also indicate. However, this does not necessarily mean that the US military will invade Caracas to achieve this goal.
Any attack on the country is expected to be limited and designed to weaken Maduro, rather than immediately remove him from power. This strategy would pave the way for the US to exploit Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
With Trump's policy showing that the strategy for regime change remains unchanged, the world is watching with anguish the next step of the American military in Latin America and the consequences it will have for the global economy and the geopolitical situation in the region.
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Trump also appeared to dismiss multiple recent reports suggesting the US military is preparing to attack military targets allegedly linked to drug cartels within Venezuela and could do so within days, although he did not rule it out entirely.
"I wouldn't say I'm going to do that," he stated. "I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do with Venezuela."
Rising tensions in US-Venezuela relations
Tensions between the two countries have escalated since August, when the Trump administration doubled the reward for Maduro's capture, reaching $50 million on drug trafficking charges, and then deployed a ready-to-deploy Amphibious Ready Group with thousands of Marines near the Caribbean Sea, in a so-called "counter-narcoterrorism operation."
In recent days, the escalation of the US presence in the region has continued, as the US naval presence in the Caribbean was reinforced with an entire Carrier Strike Group.
The US military has already carried out 15 attacks against vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 61 people. The latest raid, which was announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 2, took place in the Caribbean.
"This vessel—like EVERY OTHER ONE—was known by our intelligence agencies to be involved in illicit drug smuggling, was moving along a known narco-trafficking route, and was carrying narcotics.
Three individuals, members of narco-terrorist groups, were on board the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters. All three terrorists were killed, and no US forces sustained damage from this attack," Pete Hegseth said on X.
"These narco-terrorists are bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans and they will not succeed. The Department will deal with them EXACTLY as we dealt with Al Qaeda. We will continue to track them, map them, hunt them, and kill them," he added.
Indications of aggression from the US
Despite Trump's efforts to keep his stance ambiguous, more and more signs of an impending US attack on Venezuela appear daily.
A report published by Reuters on November 2 reveals that the US military is upgrading and reconstructing facilities at a military base in Puerto Rico, close to Venezuela.
The news agency reported that it received satellite images showing renovation work at the Roosevelt Roads base, which was previously used for military purposes. It was also noted that the US is constructing facilities at civilian airports in Puerto Rico and St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands, about 500 kilometers from Venezuela.
Venezuela prepares for attack
In the prospect of an attack from the US, Venezuela has already begun preparations, deploying defensive systems and conducting military exercises focused on the decentralization of its forces.
The US strategy for regime change
The US is clearly interested in regime change in Venezuela, which Trump's latest statements also indicate. However, this does not necessarily mean that the US military will invade Caracas to achieve this goal.
Any attack on the country is expected to be limited and designed to weaken Maduro, rather than immediately remove him from power. This strategy would pave the way for the US to exploit Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
With Trump's policy showing that the strategy for regime change remains unchanged, the world is watching with anguish the next step of the American military in Latin America and the consequences it will have for the global economy and the geopolitical situation in the region.
www.bankingnews.gr
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