Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro, has accused the United States of “fabricating a new war” after Washington ordered the deployment of the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Caribbean.
The aircraft carrier, capable of carrying up to 90 planes, represents a major boost in US military presence near Venezuelan waters.
It follows what the Pentagon described as an expanded anti-narcotics mission under the US Southern Command, covering Central and South America as well as the Caribbean.
A Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said the additional forces would “enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organisations.”
But Maduro sees something more sinister.
“They promised they would never again get involved in a war, and they are fabricating a war,” the Venezuelan leader told state media on Friday, accusing Washington of seeking “a new eternal war.”
Fears of Regime Change and Rising Tensions
The deployment has fuelled fears that the United States may be preparing for more aggressive action against Caracas.
US President Donald Trump has previously accused Maduro of leading a drug-trafficking organisation — a charge the Venezuelan president strongly denies.
Washington has not recognised Maduro’s government since the disputed 2024 presidential election, which international observers widely condemned as neither free nor fair.
Despite Venezuela’s limited role in the regional drug trade, the US has conducted multiple airstrikes in the area, claiming to target drug-smuggling vessels.
Trump’s recent comments have deepened the unease. “We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” he said earlier this week, suggesting that ground operations could be next.
Regional Concerns Over US Military Build-Up
Analysts fear that the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford — a nuclear-powered carrier — could escalate tensions across Latin America.
Some regional observers compare the move to earlier US interventions in Panama and Grenada, warning it may reignite anti-American sentiment.
For now, Maduro remains defiant. “We will not kneel before imperial threats,” he told supporters in Caracas, vowing that Venezuela would defend its sovereignty.
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