Maduro: US naval deployment off Venezuela 'greatest threat in century'
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warns that US naval deployment in the Caribbean is the “greatest threat in a century,” as allies Russia, China, and Iran back Caracas.
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Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025 (AP)
The deployment of US naval forces in the Caribbean is the continent’s “greatest threat in a century,” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, Maduro said eight US military vessels armed with 1,200 missiles and a nuclear submarine have been deployed off Venezuela’s coasts. He called the move “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, absolutely criminal, bloody threat.”
Maduro accused Washington of pursuing a policy of maximal military pressure against Caracas, forcing Venezuela to declare full preparedness for national defense.
“Venezuela is a peaceful state, but its people are made of warriors and they will never cede before threats or blackmail,” the president said.
Despite the heightened tensions, Maduro noted that Caracas maintains two diplomatic channels with Washington, one through US charge d’affaires ad interim in Colombia, John McNamara, and another with US Special Presidential Envoy Richard Grenell.
Background of escalating pressure
In August 2025, Washington deployed three guided-missile destroyers, the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson, near Venezuelan territorial waters. The deployment included more than 4,000 Marines and sailors, sparking widespread condemnation across Latin America.
Maduro denounced the move as “immoral, criminal, and illegal,” describing it as a direct attempt to impose regime change.
Regional responses
Venezuela’s allies, including Russia, China, Iran, and members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), have reaffirmed their support for Caracas. They called for respect for international law and the territorial integrity of states in the region amid what they see as escalating US aggression.
Maduro expressed gratitude to Colombian President Gustavo Petro for deploying 25,000 troops to the Catatumbo region along the shared border. He described the move as an act of unity between Venezuela and Colombia in preserving peace and protecting their territories.
Beyond Colombia, Venezuela received strong backing from regional allies. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned Washington’s deployment of troops at the XIII Extraordinary Summit of ALBA-TCP, warning that US militarization threatens regional stability.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reaffirmed support for Venezuela, calling US unilateral measures “baseless” and “unacceptable”.
At the XIII Extraordinary Summit of ALBA-TCP Heads of State and Government, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivered a forceful denunciation of the #Trump administration’s latest measures targeting #Venezuela.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 21, 2025
Diaz-Canel began by condemning #Washington’s actions as a clear… pic.twitter.com/RhB5RJBIhz
