Intellectuals' network condemns US Op. Southern Spear in Latin America
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The Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity warns that the operation threatens Venezuela’s sovereignty and risks sparking wider conflict in Latin America.
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Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson conduct a foreign object and debris walkdown to prepare an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 49, for patrol while conducting maritime interdiction operations in the Eastern Pacific, August 11, 2025. (SOUTHCOM)
The Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity strongly condemned the launch of Operation Southern Spear, a new US military venture near Venezuela’s coast in the Caribbean Sea.
In a statement, the network warned that the arrival of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, alongside a growing number of US military assets in the region, represents a dangerous escalation under the guise of an anti-drug-trafficking mission.
"We condemn and alert the international community about the new military escalation by the US government with the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which joins the military forces already stationed in the region, announcing the launch of 'Operation Southern Spear' under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking, without any real basis," the statement read.
Llamado urgente de la Red en Defensa de la Humanidad
— Red en Defensa de la Humanidad (@HumanidadEnRed) November 14, 2025
Ante la inminente y peligrosa puesta en marcha de la "Operación Lanza del Sur" por parte del Gobierno de Estados Unidos (EEUU), que se desarrolla en el mar Caribe y muy cerca de las costas de Venezuela pic.twitter.com/9myiBJzV3o
It also described the move as part of a broader campaign to undermine the legitimate government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and destabilize the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Furthermore, the network accused the US of using the Operation Southern Spear deployment to lay the groundwork for a potential military confrontation, warning that this could lead to a “massacre” and widespread geopolitical destabilization across the Americas and beyond.
"We clearly expose the true interests behind the US empire's cognitive war, which aims to destabilize the legitimate government of President Nicolás Maduro, generate a narrative justifying the use of military force to impose regime change in Venezuela, alter the regional balance of power, and seize control of the country's vast natural resources," the network's statement read.
Under the directive of US President #DonaldTrump, US Secretary #PeteHegseth announced a new operation in Latin America: Operation Southern Spear.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 14, 2025
While the #US framed the operation in one way, social media users exposed it in another, and that is how #Washington's narrative… pic.twitter.com/GAwfiE73M6
Read more: Maduro activates national defense command
The group called on the international community to reject what it described as an act of aggression, emphasizing that the consequences could mirror the devastation seen in Gaza or Syria.
"We must prevent a massacre in the South American nation, similar to what has happened in Gaza or even a civil war as in the case of Syria," the statement added.
Concerns over US militarization and cognitive warfare
It also referred to Washington’s actions as part of a wider “cognitive war” designed to reshape power dynamics in Latin America, seize Venezuela’s vast natural resources, and push the region into crisis.
The intellectuals' network denounced what it called the militarization of the Caribbean, arguing that the use of military force under the pretext of counter-narcotics operations has historically been a tool for foreign intervention and regime change.
Call for international solidarity, de-escalation
The Network of Intellectuals and Artists urged governments, multilateral institutions, and civil society groups to demand the immediate withdrawal of US military forces involved in the operation. It stressed the need to prevent what it described as “war-driven madness", warning that if left unchecked, it could spark a broader global conflict.
The group appealed to international actors to stand in defense of international law, multilateral diplomacy, and the principle of non-intervention in sovereign states.
Read more: US military buildup near Venezuela boosts weapons firms: Report
Latin America must remain a zone of peace
Reaffirming the historic position of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, the statement concluded with a call to uphold the peoples' right to self-determination and resistance of imperialist aggression in all its forms.
"We defend respect for international law, the self-determination of peoples, and the preservation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace," the network stated.
On Thursday, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the launch of Operation Southern Spear, stating, “The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood, and we will protect it,” under direct orders from US President Donald Trump.
The operation follows a series of US airstrikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea that have reportedly killed at least 80 people. The escalation has raised deep concern across Latin America, where many view it as a pretext for renewed interventionism and regime change.
It was reported on Friday that Trump administration officials have held a number of high-level internal discussions on a possible aggression against Venezuela.
Officials told Reuters that the US Homeland Security Council met three times this week, including a larger session attended by Trump, US Vice President J.D. Vance, Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
