Maduro declares venezuela ‘Unmanageable’ as U.S. Military Presence Fuels Tensions
CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro asserted this week that his country woudl prove “unmanageable” for external forces, amid escalating tensions stemming from increased U.S. military deployment in the region. The statement comes as the U.S. continues too apply pressure on Maduro’s government, including recent accusations linking top Venezuelan officials to drug trafficking.
The escalating rhetoric reflects a long-standing effort by the U.S.to dislodge Maduro from power, utilizing a range of strategies from economic sanctions to diplomatic isolation. The Trump Administration, in particular, intensified thes efforts, adding tools to increase pressure and pursue Maduro’s removal. A key component of this strategy involved the formal designation in March 2020 of “The Cartel of the Suns”-a group allegedly comprised of Venezuelan military officials and headed by Maduro and Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello-as a major drug trafficking organization.
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry swiftly rejected the U.S. designation of the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist group, dismissing the organization as “non-existent” and accusing the Trump Administration of perpetuating a “vile lie” to justify potential intervention.
Simultaneously occurring, Venezuela’s opposition party, Primero Justicia (PJ), has publicly called for Maduro’s “immediate departure,” outlining nine demands for a democratic transition, including the establishment of a “Government of national Unity.” The party detailed its request for Maduro’s removal in a statement published on X, formerly known as twitter, emphasizing the need for a “broad, plural” government with citizen participation to facilitate a democratic transition.