Top aides to President Donald Trump are advancing plans to force Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, escalating military pressure as part of a broader campaign, The New York Times reports. The Pentagon has built up more than 6,500 troops in the region after U.S. forces destroyed at least three boats allegedly smuggling drugs across the Caribbean.
National security adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading the effort, arguing Maduro is an illegitimate leader who poses an “imminent threat.”
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Who is for and against the push?
The Times reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller support Rubio’s approach.
“Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela; he’s a fugitive of American justice who undermines regional security and poisons Americans, and we want to see him brought to justice,” said the State Department’s deputy spokesman, Tommy Pigott.
Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado also favors force. “What we’re talking about is an operation to dismantle a criminal structure,” her adviser, Pedro Urruchurtu, said.
“It has to be done with the use of force,” he added, “because otherwise it wouldn’t be possible to defeat a regime like the one we’re facing.”
Other opposition voices urged caution.
“Name one successful case in the last few years of a successful U.S. military intervention,” Henrique Capriles said, according to the Times.
What is the situation in Venezuela?
As U.S. warships patrol the Caribbean, Caracas shows signs of mobilization and unease. The Times reported on militia marches, tanks in the streets and business leaders warning of potential instability if Maduro falls.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the United States is entering “a stage where the United States has openly declared war on the world,” and argued, “The people of the United States do not want war in the Caribbean.”
What legal and diplomatic questions remain?
Lethal strikes on alleged smuggling vessels have killed at least 17 people, drawing scrutiny from legal experts over the administration’s justification.
At the U.N. General Assembly, Trump warned, “We will blow you out of existence.”
The White House told the Times that “Maduro must stop sending drugs and criminals to our country” and said Trump “is prepared to use every element of American power.”
Venezuela has continued twice-weekly deportation flights from the U.S. and conveyed a letter calling for talks.
