Possible escalation in the Caribbean
Venezuela assembled 200,000 emergency services
Updated 11/12/2025 – 13:37Reading time: 3 minutes
Venezuela faces an “imperialist threat” from the US. Now the country’s government is reacting with major maneuvers.
In light of the increased US military presence in the Caribbean, the Venezuelan government said it had called up nearly 200,000 troops for exercises as part of its armed forces action plan. According to Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, soldiers from all branches of the armed forces as well as members of paramilitary militias took part in the two-day exercise.
The minister criticized the US presence in the Caribbean as a “vulgar operation that challenges sovereignty and peace” not only in Venezuela, but throughout the region. In this context he speaks of the “imperialist threat”. At the same time, the exercise is aimed at fighting drug trafficking and “terrorist groups,” he said.
The maneuvers are part of the so-called “Independence 200 Plan,” announced by authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro in September for national defense. On Tuesday, the parliament controlled by the ruling parties also passed a law for the “integral protection of the nation”. According to state media, this provides for public participation in protecting the country from threats.
The US military is currently increasing its military strength in Latin American waters. The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the “USS Gerald R. Ford”, which was withdrawn from the Mediterranean some time ago by the Pentagon, has now reached the US Southern Command area of operations, the US Navy announced on Tuesday. The exact location was not disclosed. Its area of operations extends across the Caribbean and also across the waters bordering Central and South America.
The US aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford” is the largest warship in the world. It is 333 meters long and can accommodate up to 90 fighter planes and helicopters and several thousand troops. It is powered by a nuclear reactor and named after the 38th President of the United States.
America justifies its military presence by fighting transnational criminal organizations and protecting its homeland from drugs. However, rising tensions between the US and Venezuela have led to speculation about the real reason for the carrier’s deployment to the region. There are increasing indications that US President Donald Trump wants to force a change of power in Venezuela.
The Trump administration accuses Venezuelan leader Maduro of being involved in drug smuggling into the United States. Not only does the Venezuelan government view the accumulation of additional military units in the Caribbean as a threatening act, but so do its South American neighbors such as Colombia and Brazil.
