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Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Friday that his country should submit a proposal to the United Nations to end U.S. airstrikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, while Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused Washington of targeting his country for its vast natural resources.
In a post on social media platform X, Petro questioned the legality of recent US military actions.
“Colombia must submit a proposal to the United Nations calling for an end to the aggression against the Caribbean,” he wrote, describing the operations as “illegal.”
At least 14 strikes have been carried out since September, mostly in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, resulting in more than 61 deaths.
Rights groups and legal experts have criticized the attacks, arguing that U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats violate international law.
U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk called the operations “unacceptable” and urged an independent investigation into what his office described as extrajudicial killings.
The Colombian leader’s remarks follow ongoing concerns about U.S. military activity in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump had signed a decree authorizing expanded military operations against Latin American drug cartels. In late August, the U.S. deployed a naval force, including submarines and warships, off the coast of Venezuela.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. military was prepared for operations in Venezuela, including possible regime change efforts.
Speaking at the “Great Caribbean Parliamentary Meeting to Defend Peace” held at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, President Maduro said Venezuela is being targeted “because we have the world’s largest oil reserves.”
“If Venezuela did not have 30 million hectares of arable land, if it were not located in a strategic position, and if it did not have the world’s largest oil and fourth-largest natural gas reserves, perhaps they would not even mention our name,” Maduro said.
He accused the United States of manipulating international media and attempting to impose a narrative to justify war against Venezuela.
“Everything being done against us aims at war and regime change,” he said, asserting that Venezuela would not compromise its dignity.
Maduro called on regional nations to support Venezuela’s sovereignty and peace. “The struggle for Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty, and peace is the struggle of all of the Americas. Our victory will be the victory of the entire continent,” he added.
According to The Washington Post, Maduro has reportedly sought “urgent military support” from Russia in response to increased U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.
The report, citing leaked U.S. government documents, said Caracas requested missiles, radar systems, and advanced fighter jets from Moscow.
The same documents alleged that Venezuela also requested drones from China and Iran. Maduro reportedly prepared letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling for expanded military cooperation to counter what he described as “U.S. aggression.”
Venezuelan Transport Minister Ramon Celestino Velasquez was also said to be coordinating the shipment of military equipment and drones from Iran, according to the report.
The Washington Post further cited U.S. documents describing Maduro’s claim that U.S. actions in the Caribbean were not only targeting Venezuela but also aimed “against China” due to their shared ideological ties.
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