Amid US pressure, Maduro calls for peace and denounces ‘criminal war’

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, raised his tone against the United States this Saturday (15), stating that the country is facing a “criminal war” promoted by Washington and asking the population to maintain vigilance in the face of the increase in the American military presence in the Caribbean. The statement came as the Donald Trump administration evaluates options for military action against Caracas.

In Petare, east of Caracas, supporters gathered to hear Maduro accuse the US of threatening regional stability. According to him, Venezuelans will not accept being “slaves to foreigners” and the majority are “prepared to defend this country with honor and love”. In English, the Chavista leader stated that the people are in the streets crying for “peace”. “The strength of the country will always be that of the people and not that of the oligarchs or imperialists,” he said.

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Maduro also condemned the military exercises announced by the US in partnership with Trinidad and Tobago, which begin this Sunday (16), classifying them as an “irresponsible” initiative. “The people of Trinidad and Tobago will see if they continue to allow their waters and lands to be used to seriously threaten the peace of the Caribbean,” he declared.

Opposition intensifies pressure and Maduro makes musical appeal for peace

Later, during an official event in Miranda, Maduro made a new public appeal for detente, this time singing Imagine, a pacifist classic by John Lennon. “Peace, peace, peace. Do everything for peace. As John Lennon used to say. Alfred Nazareth, what was John Lennon’s music like? Imagine all the people,” he said, as the song echoed through the speakers and supporters raised the peace sign.

The growing tension opened space for reactions from the opposition. In a message sent from an undisclosed location, leader María Corina Machado called on government allies to break with Chavismo. “The cry of this land that demands freedom grows and echoes inside and outside the country. Thirty million of us rise up against a criminal regime that is falling,” he said.

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In an audio directed to the Armed Forces and security agencies, she stated that “absolutely no one needs a path to redemption” more than government supporters: “History, the law and the Venezuelan people will be your judges.”

Machado asked the military to leave the government. “Be a hero, not a criminal. Be a source of pride, not shame for your family. Be part of Venezuela’s bright future, not the ruin that tyranny has created as this day approaches.”

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The opponent, who has remained in hiding since last year’s contested election, praised the increase in American pressure and accused Maduro of transforming Venezuela into “a real threat to the national security of the United States”.

While Washington maintains that its military mobilization aims to combat drug trafficking, Maduro insists that the operation is an attempt to overthrow it — and warns that the country is ready to resist.

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with information from Reuters