The United States is preparing for a military intervention in Venezuela, which is taking place amid a surge in tension in the Caribbean. The country has deployed a large military operation in the region in recent months, justified by combating drug trafficking. This has included a series of bombings in the southern Caribbean and the eastern Pacific against about two dozen boats apparently loaded with drugs, causing the death of at least 95 of their crew members. Trump stated yesterday on his Truth Social account that Venezuela is 'surrounded' by 'the largest navy ever assembled in the history of South America' and that the shock will be like never before until they 'return all the oil, land, and other assets they previously stole' from the United States. In this context, Trump seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week, and yesterday ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned tankers entering or leaving the country. Meanwhile, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, held a telephone call with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, to alert him to the 'escalation of threats' from the United States against the South American country and its 'serious implications for regional peace'. According to a Venezuelan communiqué, Maduro mentioned to Guterres the post by President Donald Trump announcing the blockade of all sanctioned tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. According to the text, Maduro described these statements as 'expressions of an openly colonial character' and criticized what the White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said on Wednesday, who stated that the United States created Venezuela's oil industry and described the 1976 nationalization by Caracas as 'the greatest theft' in US history. 'President Maduro stressed that such statements must be categorically rejected by the United Nations system, as they constitute a direct threat to sovereignty, international law, and peace,' the Venezuelan communiqué states. The text also mentions that the Venezuelan leader exposed the 'political, diplomatic, and economic siege against Venezuela, as well as the intensification of a campaign of falsehoods and military threats.' Maduro described these actions as part of a 'diplomacy of barbarism' that is 'alien to international coexistence' and reiterated Venezuela's willingness to 'defend a dignified diplomacy, dialogue, and peace.' Guterres, for his part, reaffirmed his 'commitment to international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter,' according to the Venezuelan communiqué. The UN Secretary-General highlighted the need to 'avoid any escalation or confrontation' and warned that an armed conflict in the region 'lacks justification and would be sterile, with serious consequences for regional stability and the zone of peace in Latin America and the Caribbean.' 'The Secretary-General informed that he will follow up on the situation and will accompany its treatment in the Security Council, promoting de-escalation and always privileging diplomacy, dialogue, and the peaceful settlement of disputes,' the communiqué concludes. Ultraconservative journalist Tucker Carlson stated this Wednesday that US President Donald Trump will announce war on Venezuela during his national address tonight, as he was informed by a member of Congress. 'Yesterday, members of Congress were informed that a war is looming and that the president will announce it in a national address tonight at 9:00 PM,' the journalist said in the conservative 'Judging Freedom' podcast. Trump will appear on television tonight to deliver a national address from the White House, where he will take stock of his nearly first year in office. He will also outline his plans for the next three years, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt yesterday. The president is expected to address his efforts to reduce the cost of living amid growing criticism from his own followers, who reproach him for focusing more on foreign policy than on domestic affairs. The escalation of tensions between the US...
