Venezuela’s president waves sword and vows to fight ‘imperialist aggression’ amid tensions with Trump
Maduro vows to fight aggression from the US while brandishing sword
- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has pledged to defend "every inch" of the nation from "imperialist threat or aggression", amid reports of new US operations in international waters.
- Maduro delivered his warning during a ceremony commemorating Simon Bolivar, cautioning against "new imperial threats of the international far right" and asserting that "failure is not an option".
- US military forces have conducted strikes in international waters, killing at least 80 people, claiming to target vessels suspected of drug trafficking originating from Venezuela.
- Venezuelan officials, including Minister Delcy Rodriguez, accuse the US of coveting Venezuela's natural resources, while Cuba has condemned the US military presence as "exaggerated and aggressive".
- A senior military lawyer reportedly raised concerns about the legality of the US administration's strikes on alleged "drug boats", suggesting they could constitute extrajudicial killings.