Maduro vows to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty as tensions rise with US

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Nicolás Maduro has vowed to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty as tensions rise over the deployment of U.S. warships in the Caribbean. He urged President Donald Trump to engage in dialogue to avoid conflict.

The remarks late Friday came three days after the Trump administration said U.S. forces carried out a strike in the Caribbean, sinking a boat it claimed was from the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua smuggling drugs to the U.S. The strike killed 11 people, and the American account has been questioned by Caracas.

“Venezuela is always ready for dialogue, but we demand respect,” Maduro said in a speech at a military base in Caracas. “None of our differences justify a high-impact military conflict in South America.”

The strike has ruffled feathers across Latin America, a region that has suffered the long-term effects of previous American incursions.

Dressed in camouflage, Maduro oversaw a ceremony in which he ordered the mobilization of civilian militias, said there would be an “armed struggle” in the case of any attack.

Washington has deployed more than 4,000 troops and naval assets to the region, saying the move targets Latin American drug cartels. U.S. officials have not suggested a ground incursion into Venezuela, but Maduro denounced the buildup as a threat of invasion.

He accused the U.S. of fabricating drug-trafficking allegations to justify regime change, pointing to Washington’s decision last month to double its reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.

The vague threat of American intervention has long been a card Maduro has played to rally support in the South American nation amid waning political support.