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Venezuelan President Nicolss Maduro accused the U.S. of conducting a “daily psychological war” against his country as tensions rise over U.S. military activity in the Caribbean.
According to state broadcaster VTV, Maduro said Venezuela is closely monitoring the U.S. presence in the region and warned that Washington seeks “regime change” in Caracas.
“We are threatened every day by American imperialism,” Maduro said. “Every day they wage a psychological war. Words from here, words from there, ships on one side, missiles on another.”
Maduro emphasized that both the Venezuelan people and the armed forces are united to defend the nation’s sovereignty and independence, saying they will act “calmly and with common sense.”
Maduro also criticized YouTube for suspending his official channel on Sept. 22 without explanation. The account had more than 200,000 subscribers and featured clips of his speeches and weekly programs aired on state television.
The Venezuelan leader accused YouTube of censorship, calling its administrators “fools” and claiming the platform was serving imperialist interests.
“YouTube, your end will come too,” Maduro said. “Those who meddle with Venezuela will wither.”
U.S. President Trump earlier signed an executive order authorizing greater military involvement against Latin American drug cartels. In late August, the U.S. deployed a naval force, including submarines and warships, off the Venezuelan coast.
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military was prepared for operations in Venezuela, including potential regime change.
In response, Maduro announced the mobilization of 4.5 million militia members, declaring the country ready to repel any attack.
Both Venezuelan authorities and international observers have criticized continued U.S. actions in the Caribbean, where American forces have targeted vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking. Caracas has described the operations as violations of international law.
During a press briefing at the White House, Trump said, “We are hitting Venezuelan boats. Soon we will see a ground operation in Venezuela.”
He denied a report by The Wall Street Journal claiming the U.S. had sent B-1 bombers to the region. “That’s not true,” Trump said, adding that Washington remains dissatisfied with Venezuela’s handling of drug trafficking and illegal migration.
Trump asserted that the U.S. borders are now closed and that only legal migration is permitted.
In a separate statement reported by CNN, Maduro said Venezuela had deployed thousands of Russian-made Igla-S short-range surface-to-air missiles to strategic air defense zones across the country.
“All military forces in the world know the power of the Igla-S,” Maduro said. “Venezuela possesses more than 5,000 of them.”
He added that the weapons were distributed to “the farthest mountains, towns, and cities” across the nation.
Maduro also announced 72-hour nationwide military exercises covering the country’s Caribbean coastline. The drills, involving the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, militias, and police, aim to reinforce defense readiness.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said troops were already stationed along the coast and operating at the highest level of preparedness.
“All our actions are meant to prevent and neutralize the military threat deployed in the Caribbean and to protect the country against any internal destabilization attempts,” Lopez said.
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