Maduro: “No” to war, “No” to CIA coups!
Nicolas Maduro spoke out against “CIA-led coups” in a statement in response to US President Donald Trump’s approval of “covert and deadly” operations by the CIA on Venezuelan soil, as well as in response to the deployment of US warships to the Caribbean, which was presented as an operation against drug traffickers.
“No to war in the Caribbean (…) no to regime change that reminds us very much of the endless failed wars in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq (…) no to CIA-led coups,” the Venezuelan president said.
The reaction comes after Trump said yesterday (Wednesday) that he was “looking into” attacks in Venezuela, and the New York Times revealed that the US president had secretly authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
On the other hand, Trump hinted at ground attacks in Venezuela after the attacks on boats.
Washington accuses the Venezuelan president and his government of leading a vast drug trafficking organization to the United States, a charge Caracas strongly denies.
Venezuela has also launched military exercises and mobilized reserves in response to the deployment of American forces, which it sees as a “military threat.”
The Trump administration has recently attacked at least five ships in international waters at sea, allegedly belonging to drug traffickers, killing at least 27 people, according to AFP. The attack comes after eight warships and a nuclear submarine were deployed off Venezuela’s coast in August as part of a counter-narcotics operation.
“I don’t want to tell you more than that, but we’re looking at land now because we have very good control of the sea,” Trump said when asked by a reporter about possible ground attacks.
However, he refused to confirm New York Times reports that he had secretly allowed the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.