Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed readiness to announce an emergency over the threat of the “aggression” of the United States, following a series of dead US attacks against ships suspected of transporting drugs from Venezuela.
“Today the consultation process begins … to express an emergency in accordance with the constitution and protect our people, our peace, and our stability if Venezuelan is attacked by America, Military,” Maduro said in a speech broadcast on television, reported by the news agency AFPTuesday (9/30/2025).
Previously, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez told foreign diplomats that Maduro had signed a decree that gave himself a “special power” as head of state to act on defense and security issues, if the United States “dared to attack our homeland.”
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However, a government source told AFP that Maduro had not yet signed the document.
“The Vice President submitted the document to show that everything was ready and that the President could set it at any time,” said the source, who spoke on anonymous conditions.
Maduro, a left-wing authoritarian leader, has placed Venezuela in high alert regarding the massive mobilization of US military near the coast of his country.
US President Donald Trump has deployed eight warships and a nuclear -powered submarine to the southern Caribbean as part of a plan to fight drug trafficking. However, it seems that the plan is specifically intended to pressure Maduro.
US troops have destroyed at least three ships suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing 14 people in an action that was criticized as “execution outside of the law” by UN experts.
At present, US military officials are preparing options to target drug dealers in the Venezuelan border, according to a report by the US News media, NBC.
Declaring an emergency will allow Maduro to temporarily suspend the basic rights of the Venezuelan people.
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(ITA/ITA)
