Cuba has accused the United States of moving ahead with the violent removal of Venezuela’s leadership and warned that the expanded U.S. military presence in the Caribbean represents an “exaggerated and aggressive” threat to regional stability.
“We appeal to the American people to stop this madness,” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in a statement Tuesday.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
“The US government could cause untold deaths and create scenarios of unimaginable violence and instability in the hemisphere,” he warned, adding that such actions violate international law and the United Nations Charter.
#Cuba denounces the actual escalade of Caribe forces, opens up potential and reaffirms #Venezuela.
Si estalla la guerra, ¿ ¿Secretario de Estado? Realmente alguien piensa que acompañará los jóvenes soldados a arriesgar sus… pic.twitter.com/5O3RrbPsiI
— Bruno Rodriguez P (@BrunoRguezP) November 25, 2025
The accusations come as US President Donald Trump considers additional measures against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with the White House not ruling out stronger measures.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused President Maduro of leading drug smuggling operations into the United States, without providing any evidence to support that claim.
Over the past two months, the United States has bombed 21 boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 83 people. Although the ships claimed to be involved in drug trafficking, authorities have not released any evidence that drugs were present, and legal scholars argue that even if drugs were found, the attacks would still likely violate international law.
The US military presence in the region is now the largest in decades, with approximately 15,000 US military personnel stationed across the Caribbean.
President Trump has repeatedly insisted that he is not seeking to overthrow the Venezuelan government.
Still, recent developments have raised concerns about possible U.S. intervention. Reuters reported on Saturday, citing four U.S. officials, that Washington was preparing to enter a new phase of its Venezuela-related operations, two of whom said the options included an attempt to overthrow Maduro.
Last month, President Trump authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. Meanwhile, the United States also maintains a $50 million bounty for Maduro, a bounty that has expanded significantly since President Trump’s first term.
Mr Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, claims the US government aims to remove him from power and says both Venezuela’s military and people will resist such efforts.
Tensions escalated further this week when the United States officially added the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) to its list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). Cartel de los Soles is a term used by Venezuelans to describe high levels of corruption by the country’s senior officials and leaders, but it is not an organized cartel per se.
President Trump told advisers on Monday that he intended to speak directly with Maduro, although a date has not yet been announced.
caribbean tour
Amid rising tensions, top U.S. military leaders began a tour of the Caribbean this week, meeting with leaders in the region.
U.S. military chief Dan Cain traveled to Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The two sides reaffirmed their bilateral relationship and “exchanged views on issues affecting the Caribbean region, including the destabilizing effects of illicit drugs and the activities of transnational criminal organizations,” according to a summary released by Cain’s office.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kaine also assured Persado-Bissessar of Washington’s commitment to “addressing common threats and deepening cooperation across the Caribbean,” according to the Pentagon.
He began his Caribbean trip on Monday with a stop in Puerto Rico to meet with U.S. troops.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to continue his diplomatic push in Santo Domingo on Wednesday, where he is scheduled to meet with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader and Defense Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre. The Pentagon said the visit was aimed at “strengthening the defense relationship and reaffirming the United States’ commitment to the defense of the homeland.”
Most Caribbean leaders have reacted cautiously to the U.S. attack on an alleged drug smuggling vessel, calling for restraint and dialogue. However, Persad Bissessar openly supports the attack.
In early September, she said she had no sympathy for drug traffickers and declared that “the US military should violently kill them all.” Her comments prompted criticism from regional figures and some opposition politicians in the country.
Amelie Brown, Trinidad’s former foreign minister, told local newspaper Newsday that the prime minister’s position was “reckless” and alienated Trinidad and Tobago from regional trading bloc Caricom.
