Maduro Warns of Armed Struggle as Venezuelan Jets Challenge US Ship

By Staff, Agencies

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warned on Friday that his country is prepared to “enter a stage of armed struggle” if subjected to foreign aggression, while stressing that Venezuela “has always been open to dialogue, but demands respect.”

In a televised address, Maduro dismissed attempts by US President Donald Trump’s administration to pursue regime change in Caracas, describing them as “a mistake.”

“No disagreement between Venezuela and the United States should lead to military conflict,” he said, calling on Washington to abandon what he described as reckless plans for intervention.

Maduro rejected Trump’s accusations that his government leads a “drug cartel,” stressing that Venezuela is free of cocaine cultivation and production. He likened US claims to the fabricated allegations of weapons of mass destruction used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Maduro’s warning came just hours after Trump threatened to shoot down Venezuelan military aircraft if they were deemed a threat to US forces.

According to US media reports, Trump is weighing a range of military options against alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela, including possible strikes on Venezuelan territory. 

This comes as part of a broader military buildup in the Caribbean and Latin America, which has seen the deployment of US Navy vessels, thousands of Marines, and 10 F-35 stealth fighters to Puerto Rico.

In response to US militarization in the region, two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets conducted a low-altitude flyover of the USS Jason Dunham, a US Navy guided-missile destroyer, in international waters of the Caribbean.

The Pentagon condemned the maneuver as “provocative,” warning Caracas against obstructing US counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations. US officials said it was the second such incident in recent weeks.