Trump says US may begin ground actions against Venezuela “soon”

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Thursday (27) that he intends to begin ground operations against Venezuela “very soon”. In conversation with military personnel, he said that entry by land “is easier” and once again used accusations of drug trafficking — never proven by Washington — to justify the escalation that has already led to the deaths of dozens of civilians in the Caribbean.

It is the first time that Trump has publicly confirmed his intention to launch a ground operation against Venezuela. Until then, the North American offensive had been focusing on maritime attacks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which since September resulted in the deaths of 83 people in actions classified by governments in the region as extrajudicial executions.

In his Thanksgiving message, Trump stated that “there are not many more [traficantes e drogas] entering by sea” and that US forces “will begin to stop them by land as well”.

The US has carried out at least 21 attacks against vessels since the start of the operation, resulting in 83 deaths.

Latin American leaders and human rights experts say most of the victims were fishermen and that Washington has never presented evidence to support the narrative that the boats attacked were linked to drug trafficking.

Al Jazeera and Reuters highlighted that the bombings have been classified as extrajudicial executions in the region.

American military mobilization also increased significantly. The US deployed around 15,000 soldiers, in addition to a group of aircraft carriers, stealth fighters, F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft and more than a dozen warships, firepower that far exceeds what is needed for anti-trafficking actions.

Although Trump announced the beginning of a land phase, US officials have informed Congress that there is no legal basis for attacks inside Venezuela.

The opinion of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) only authorizes operations against suspicious vessels, and not incursions into foreign territory. Still, reports of imminent action have multiplied over the past few weeks, fueled by the intensified military presence and the US president’s increasingly aggressive statements.

Fisherman deaths, regional criticism and reports of extrajudicial executions

The United States government’s anti-drug narrative lost credibility as Latin American governments began releasing data on victims of maritime attacks.

According to reports from Al Jazeera, authorities in the Caribbean region claim that most of the victims were fishermen, and not members of criminal networks, as Washington maintains. Criticism intensified because the United States did not present any evidence to prove the involvement of the attacked vessels in drug trafficking.

Maduro’s reaction and defense of national sovereignty

In a national speech, Nicolás Maduro stated that the country has been facing external threats for at least 17 weeks and described the North American arguments as “false” and “extravagant”.

According to the Venezuelan president, these justifications “are not credible neither in North American public opinion, nor in the world, much less in the powerful Venezuelan public opinion”.

Maduro declared that the Venezuelan people are prepared to defend “homeland, soil, seas, sky, soul and history”, in reference to the growing concentration of foreign forces in the Caribbean.

The president also stated that no external aggression will surprise Venezuela, which, according to him, “prepared with imperturbable serenity” to face military actions.

Caracas accuses Washington of using anti-drug discourse as a pretext to promote a policy of regime change.

Venezuelan authorities claim that the North American operation violates national sovereignty and increases the risk of regional instability, especially because it involves advanced weapons that go far beyond what is necessary for operations to combat drug trafficking.

In this context, the government has sought to reinforce regional alliances and closely monitor US troop movements around the country. For Maduro, the current moment requires permanent vigilance and popular mobilization in the face of the military escalation promoted by the United States.