U.S.-Venezuela tensions escalate amid sanctions and military actions

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday demanded that the United States end its policy of intervention in Venezuela as well as across Latin America and the Caribbean. Speaking at a demonstration in Caracas marking the 166th anniversary of the Battle of Santa Ines, Maduro called for an end to "illegal and brutal interventionism" and condemned "regime change policies, coups d'etat, and invasions around the world." He also thanked U.S. citizens for protesting against a potential war with Venezuela, highlighting a growing movement of public opinion that rejects U.S. military hostility against his country.

Over the past few months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of it off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking – a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas.

Tensions intensified after the U.S. Department of Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions on three nephews of Maduro's wife, a Maduro-affiliated businessman, and six companies shipping oil from Venezuela. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "Nicolas Maduro and his criminal associates in Venezuela are flooding the United States with drugs that are poisoning the American people.”

The sanctions followed the Pentagon's seizure of an oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the United States intends to keep the oil, which is undergoing a forfeiture process, and that the Trump administration may take more similar actions targeting sanctioned oil tankers in the coming weeks. She described the seized vessel as "a sanctioned shadow vessel known for carrying black market sanctioned oil to the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)," a sanctioned entity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the escalating tensions. His deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Thursday that the UN is calling on all actors to refrain from actions that could further escalate bilateral tensions and destabilize Venezuela and the region. He also urged all parties to honor their obligations under the UN Charter and international law.