US President Donald Trump announced that he has officially authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct secret operations within Venezuelan territory. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
He spoke about this during a conversation with journalists at the White House. The decision was made after US military forces struck vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea area.
Since September, at least five boats have been destroyed and 27 people have died. It is said that four of them originated from Venezuela.
According to Trump, this step was taken for two main reasons. First, Venezuela is smuggling large quantities of drugs into the US, and second, prisoners are being sent from Venezuela to the US.
The President stated that the administration is also considering strikes on land, which indicates a further tightening of Washington's policy towards Venezuela. On the same day, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made a national television address, condemning the CIA's activities and calling for peace.
He compared the CIA's "regime change" operations to events in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, expressing opposition to such coups. Maduro also recalled the 1973 Chilean coup, emphasizing that Latin America does not want new conflicts.
The Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Trump's statements as "war-provoking and dangerous." In a statement by Minister Ivan Gil, it was said that this view contradicts international law and the UN Charter and should be condemned by the global community.
Representatives from both parties in the US Congress also criticized the Trump administration's military actions against Venezuelan drug cartels and accused the president of starting a war without Congressional approval. Analysts believe that the Trump administration is seeking to increase pressure on Venezuela to enhance its influence in Latin America.
However, there is currently no concrete evidence that the attacked vessels were indeed carrying drugs. For this reason, the conflict between Washington and Caracas is escalating to a new level, raising the risk that the political dispute could turn into an open military confrontation.
