At the United Nations General Assembly, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto denounced the United States for imposing an “unlawful and deeply unethical military threat” over Venezuela, amid emerging reports that Washington plans to intensify its military actions against the South American nation.
Addressing representatives from UN member countries in New York on Friday, Pinto expressed gratitude towards those governments and citizens who have voiced opposition to what he described as an effort to ignite conflict in the Caribbean and South America.
The minister asserted that the US’s aggressive posture is driven by a desire to enable foreign entities to exploit Venezuela’s vast oil and natural gas reserves.
He further condemned Washington for spreading “crude and deceitful falsehoods” to rationalize what he called an “exorbitant, immoral, and multibillion-dollar military menace.”
Earlier that day, NBC News reported that US military strategists are formulating plans to conduct airstrikes targeting drug trafficking operations within Venezuelan territory, citing two anonymous US officials.
Last week, President Donald Trump announced that US forces had executed a third strike against a vessel allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking. These three attacks have resulted in at least 17 fatalities.
Legal experts have questioned the legitimacy of US military strikes on foreign vessels in international waters, while data from both the United Nations and US agencies indicate that Venezuela is not a primary source of cocaine entering the United States, contradicting Trump’s assertions.
During his UNGA speech on Tuesday, Trump issued a stark warning to drug traffickers: “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, be advised that we will eliminate you.”
In contrast, Colombian President Gustavo Petro used his address to call for legal proceedings against Trump for the attacks on Caribbean vessels, which resulted in the deaths of Venezuelan nationals who had not been convicted of any crimes.
The US has deployed eight warships to international waters near Venezuela’s coast, supported by F-35 fighter jets stationed in Puerto Rico, under the pretext of an anti-narcotics campaign.
Washington has dismissed Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro’s calls for dialogue, accusing him of drug trafficking-a charge Maduro vehemently denies.
While Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez were once regular attendees at the annual UNGA sessions in New York, Maduro did not attend this year. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled him a fugitive due to a US indictment on drug trafficking charges.
Within Venezuela, Maduro has ordered military exercises to commence on Saturday, aimed at assessing “the population’s preparedness for natural disasters or potential armed conflicts” amid ongoing US threats.
‘Our Fishermen Are Peaceful’
Local fishermen in Venezuela, speaking to AFP, revealed that the US military strikes on Venezuelan vessels have instilled fear, discouraging them from venturing far from the coastline.
Joan Diaz, 46, from the northern town of Caraballeda, expressed his distress: “Our nation is peaceful, and so are our fishermen. It’s deeply troubling that these measures are being taken to intimidate and attack us at our workplaces.”
Diaz explained that while most fishermen remain close to shore, tuna fishing requires traveling farther out, precisely where US forces are operating.
Luis Garcia, 51, who leads a collective of approximately 4,000 fishermen in the La Guaira area, described the US military presence as “a genuine threat.”
“Our fishing vessels measure nine to twelve meters, while they have missile-equipped ships. It’s madness, truly madness,” he exclaimed.
Garcia emphasized the fishermen’s communication efforts: “We maintain contact with everyone, especially those venturing further out. We notify authorities about our locations, destinations, and the duration of our fishing trips, and we also keep our fishermen’s councils informed.”
Despite the intimidation, Garcia affirmed their resolve.
“To Mr. Donald Trump, we say: ‘We, the fishermen of Venezuela, will persist in our fishing activities. We will continue to navigate the Caribbean Sea, which is rightfully ours.'”
