Global Protests Condemn Military Moves Near Venezuela As Analysts Speculate Over US Intentions

• • Demonstrations in dozens of cities condemned US aggression against Venezuela, while Colombia expressed confidence Washington does not intend to invade.

By José Luis Granados Ceja

MEXICO, CITY, Mexico – (venezuelanalysis ) – Demonstrations in support of Venezuela and its sovereignty were held Saturday in more than 100 cities in response to US military manoeuvres in the Caribbean.

Under the banner“Venezuela is not a threat; Venezuela is hope,” activists organised rallies from London and Johannesburg to Sydney and Mexico City, condemning Washington's attempts to destabilise the region.

In Mexico, Paulo Lidaldo of the International Antifascist movement expressed backing for Venezuela's government, while warning that such actions threaten regional security.

Earlier this month, the Donald Trump administration deployed armed warships in waters near Venezuela, raising fears of a possible move against the Caribbean country. Washington has framed the action as an anti-narcotrafficking operation and tied it to allegations against the so-called“Cartel de los Soles” while raising the bounty on President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million.

The Venezuelan leader has strongly condemned US actions and ordered the deployment of armed forces along the border and territorial waters, as well as the mobilisation of more than four million members of the National Bolivarian Militia.

Trump allies, including Michael Flynn and Congressman Carlos Gimenez, issued combative statements calling for Maduro's downfall, with the former's 24-hour window closing without any move against Maduro.

Analysts, however, have suggested the naval buildup is more about“gunboat diplomacy” than invasion, with the present mobilisations widely seen by experts as insufficient to carry out an invasion of Venezuela.

Former US diplomat James Story, the de jure ambassador for Venezuela from 2018 to 2023, told the Guardian newspaper that the recent moves were“more about a show of force” than a plot to use military force to enact regime change.

“It's amateur psyops,” said Christopher Sabatini, a senior research fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, who suggested the aim was to shake the confidence of Maduro's inner circle.

In recent years, Washington has backed coup efforts, mercenary invasion plots, and other regime efforts aimed at ousting Maduro, including support for former Venezuelan lawmaker Juan Guaidó's self-proclaimed“interim presidency” during Trump's first term.

Likewise, a recent report from Axios cast doubt about the true intentions of the Trump administration's actions vis-à-vis Venezuela. Nonetheless, one anonymous Trump official described the move as a potential repeat of the 1989 Noriega operation in Panama, while others admitted it was as much about pressuring Venezuelan officials.

“The president has asked for a menu of options. And ultimately, this is the president's decision about what to do next, but Maduro should be shitting bricks,” the official told Axios with candor after being granted anonymity.

Colombia's foreign minister Rosa Villavicencio said Washington had assured Bogotá there would be no military intervention in Venezuela, stressing that operations were focused only on narcotrafficking.

“We are seeking peace in our territories with medium and long-term commitments. And in all of that, they are also committed to helping both the United States and other countries in the region,” said Villavicencio.

Opposition leader and former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles rejected in an interview with the BBC any foreign military intervention in Venezuela, emphasizing the human cost and the importance of dialogue between Caracas and Washington.

“Most people who want a military solution and a US invasion do not live in Venezuela. They don't even understand the consequences of it,” said Capriles.

A handful of Caribbean countries-including Guyana, which has an ongoing territorial dispute with Venezuela-and right-wing civil society groups have expressed their support for US actions in the region.

On Thursday, Maduro sent a message to UN Secretary General António Guterres warning that recent US actions threaten peace and security in the hemisphere.

ALBA-TCP countries unanimously condemned the recent US military deployments in Latin America and the Caribbean, with China also expressing its opposition to violations of the UN Charter, infringements on other nations' sovereignty and security, and the use or threat of force in international relations.

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