Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro delivered a defiant speech in Caracas earlier this week, brandishing a sword and warning supporters to prepare to confront what he called “imperialist aggression,” as President Donald Trump said the United States will begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land “very soon.”
Maduro appeared at a mass meeting in the capital carrying the sword of Simón Bolívar, the 19th-century independence leader considered the liberator of much of South America. Maduro told his supporters that the country was facing a decisive moment.
The Associated Press reported that he said: “For everyone, whether citizens, politicians, soldiers or police officers. Let no one make excuses. Failure is not an option. The Fatherland demands it! Our greatest effort and sacrifice. And with (Simon) Bolívar I come to say that if the Fatherland demands it, the Fatherland will have our lives, if necessary,” he declared as he raised Bolívar’s sword.
TRUMP SAYS WE WILL START STOPPING VENEZELAN DRUG TRAFFICKER BY LAND: ‘TO BEGIN VERY SOON’
Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro brandishes a sword reportedly belonging to independence hero Simon Bolivar during a civil-military event at the military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, November 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)
Maduro described the situation as a battle against what he described as external threats, urging Venezuelans to mobilize against any foreign aggression.
The speech came as tensions have risen following months of US maritime attacks that Washington says targeted ships used by drug traffickers.
Reuters has reported that more than 80 people have been killed since September, and one more separately Reuters reports this On Friday, the heightened surveillance and security measures in the coastal communities where the strikes took place were detailed.
MADURO CLAIMS US IS SEEKING ‘REGIME CHANGE THROUGH MILITARY THREAT’ AGAINST CARIBBEAN CONSTRUCTION
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro brandishes a sword during an event at the military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, November 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)
During his Thanksgiving speech, Trump told U.S. military personnel that the United States will expand its efforts from naval interdiction to land operations. “You have been working in recent weeks to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many. Of course, not that many come in by sea anymore. You probably noticed that?’ Trump said.
He added that maritime operations have already stopped an estimated 85% of drugs arriving by sea. “You’ve probably noticed that people don’t want to deliver by sea anymore, and we’re going to stop them delivering by land as well. Land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”
Trump said human traffickers are responsible for the deaths of “hundreds of thousands of people every year” from the “toxins” entering the United States. “We warn them: stop sending poison to our country,” he said.
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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after speaking to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 27, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Earlier this month, Trump said he had not ruled out sending US troops to Venezuela as part of the administration’s crackdown on criminal networks linked to senior figures in Caracas. “No, I’m not ruling that out, I’m not ruling anything out,” he said.
He also left room for conversations. “We may have some conversations with Maduro, and we’ll see how that goes. They’re eager to talk,” Trump told reporters this weekend.
Since early September, U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have destroyed dozens of ships. U.S. officials say many had ties to Venezuelan and Colombian criminal groups.
