US President Donald Trump is sending conflicting signals regarding a possible military intervention in Venezuela. On the one hand, he downplayed the likelihood of an armed conflict, but on the other, he said that the days of the leader of the South American country, Nicolas Maduro, are numbered, notes Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
The Republican's statement, which he made in an interview with CBS, broadcast on Sunday, came at a time when Washington is massing military forces in the Caribbean region and has carried out numerous strikes against suspected drug traffickers, in which dozens of people were killed.
“I doubt it. I don't think so“, he replied, asked to comment on whether the United States is preparing for war with Venezuela.
But when asked whether he believes Maduro's days as president are numbered, Trump replied with the words: “I would say so. Yes – I think they are“.
Maduro, who is facing drug trafficking charges in the United States, accused Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for “regime change in Caracas“ in order to seize Venezuela's oil reserves.
In recent weeks, more than 15 US strikes have been carried out on dozens of vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, killing at least 65 people. The latest attack was on Saturday and has drawn criticism from governments in the region.
According to experts, the attacks, which began in early September, are tantamount to extrajudicial executions – even if they are drug traffickers, AFP notes.
Washington has yet to show evidence that the targets were transporting drugs or that they threatened the United States.
VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION DIVIDED ON POSSIBLE US ACTION
Leaders of the two main wings of the Venezuelan opposition are increasingly divided on the issue of possible US military action against Venezuela, despite the ongoing repression of opposition figures, politicians and analysts quoted by Reuters believe.
The position of one group, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, is very close to Trump's, which is that Maduro poses a direct threat to US national security - although intelligence data questions this finding - and supports the deployment of US military forces in the Caribbean region.
The other – led by two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles – is against military intervention by Washington and is calling for the renewal of negotiations with the Maduro government and Trump, although such dialogue has never been successful so far.
The split, and this against the backdrop of long-standing government repression, including arrests, forcing people into exile and prosecution, is perplexing many opposition supporters both at home and abroad.
“We Venezuelans are in a very uncomfortable position, because how could we support one position or the other?“, a Venezuelan political analyst asked rhetorically in an interview with Reuters, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Capriles' efforts cannot be a real challenge to Maduro's power, the expert said, while Machado is dependent on the help of Trump, who accuses Venezuelan immigrants in the United States of are criminals, and deprives them of legal protection. “This story cannot have a happy ending.“
Along with military strikes on suspected traffickers, the US president has authorized the CIA to begin covert operations in Venezuela and hinted that ground operations could soon follow. But then, in two consecutive statements, in the interview on Sunday and the previous one on Friday, he rejected the possibility of military intervention by Washington.
Maduro, who has vowed that the armed forces will thwart any US action to remove him from power, took office earlier this year for a third consecutive term despite the election results from last year's presidential election pointing to a landslide victory for the opposition, Reuters notes.
The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group, guided missile destroyers, fighter jets and a nuclear submarine, plus thousands of troops, off the coast of Venezuela.
And it is precisely in the context of this increased concentration of US military forces and equipment in the region that the two main opposition factions are arguing about what to do.
CAPRILES CALLS FOR NEGOTIATIONS
Machado's advisor Magali Meda insists that the opposition must remain united under the umbrella of the eight-party "Platform for Unity", the coalition that supported Machado and her replacement candidacy in the 2024 elections after the court barred Machado from running.
"Never before has the country been united around a common agenda: freedom for Venezuela," Meda said.
After the 2024 elections, many opposition figures, including Machado, went underground, and others, including her close associates, were imprisoned.
The government has asked the Supreme Court to strip Leopoldo López, a former opposition leader now living in Spain, of his citizenship for calling for military intervention, even though the constitution does not allow the citizenship of Venezuelans who acquired it by birth to be revoked.
Last week, a politician close to the government announced that he had filed a request with the court to revoke the citizenship of 20 people, including Machado.
For his part, Capriles, a former governor of Miranda state who won a seat in the ruling party-controlled National Assembly in elections boycotted by much of the opposition (and Machado) in May, believes that the right solution is to resume dialogue.
Capriles, who describes the wing around Machado as "extremist", told Reuters that he was determined to fight for change, even though some opposition circles consider him a sellout who participated in elections that helped Maduro cling even tighter to power. power.
Although he congratulated Machado on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Capriles added that he and she had “profound differences” in the views.
“I continue to believe that negotiations will always be the better option for the future of Venezuela“, he said.
The prime minister of Qatar, which has previously hosted talks between the government and the opposition in Venezuela, last week expressed his willingness to mediate between Caracas and Washington, but added that there has been no tangible progress on this issue so far.
Three rounds of talks between the government and the opposition, which began in 2019, led to the release of political prisoners and an agreement on the conditions for holding last year's elections.
For now, Machado appears to be the more popular opposition leader.
According to a survey by the “Pantera“ institute in August, about 70% of Venezuelans are against the ruling party. Of these, 60 percent approve of US support for Machado's leadership role, while only 16 percent favor negotiations with Maduro.
RUSSIA CONDEMNS US ACTIONS AND PROMISES ASSISTANCE TO VENEZUELA
On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the use of "excessive" force by the US in the Caribbean Sea.
"We categorically condemn the use of excessive force in anti-drug operations," said ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a comment posted on the ministry's website. “Such actions are contrary to both domestic US legislation and the norms of international law.“
In 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and occupied large parts of the Eastern European country, drawing condemnation from many countries around the world, Reuters notes.
Zakharova's statement stated that Moscow “confirms its firm support for the Venezuelan leadership in defending its national sovereignty“.
In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Maduro in Moscow.