Venezuela's Maduro Moves To Invoke Emergency Powers As US Doubles Down On Its Aggressive Stance Toward Latin America

• • Venezuela is preparing an emergency decree to enact a State of Exterior Commotion amid escalating threats from the US.

By José Luis Granados Ceja

MEXICO, CITY, Mexico, (venezuelanalysis ) – The Venezuelan government is preparing to enact a State of Exterior Commotion amid escalating threats from the United States. Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro said Tuesday that the move, which will grant emergency powers to the executive, is a necessary response to recent hostile actions by the US that include naval deployments in the region and lethal strikes in the Caribbean.

“The first decree is almost ready. The other constitutional and legal measures that allow the state to respond to a situation of aggression are ready,” said Maduro during a televised meeting of the Council of State.

Senior officials, including the vice president, the head of the country's Supreme Court of Justice, and the head of the National Assembly, joined Maduro in the announcement, underscoring the unified front inside the Venezuelan state.

The announcement also coincided with mass pro-government demonstrations inside the country, and in defense of national sovereignty.

The emergency measure, outlined in Article 338 of the Venezuelan Constitution, can be activated in response to external conflicts that threaten the nation's security, its institutions, or its citizens. It is valid for an initial 90 days and extendable for another equal period, and is intended to provide the state with legal tools to confront situations of external aggression.

Washington has deployed about 4,500 troops off Venezuela's coasts, along with a nuclear-propelled submarine, eight warships, and fighter jets in what it calls a crackdown on drug trafficking.

Caracas has flatly rejected accusations of being a major player in the global narcotics trade and accused Washington of threatening the country with military deployments under the guise of counternarcotics operations. According to the latest United Nations World Drug Report, the vast majority of drug shipments from Latin America reach the US and Europe via Pacific routes.

US forces have struck at least three boats that they claim were being used for drug trafficking, killing 17 people in total. The first two strikes took place on September 2 and 15, with the most recent one informed by Trump on Truth Social on September 19. US officials have not provided any evidence to back their claims that these vessels represented an imminent threat, with experts calling into question the legality of the strikes.

Maduro has appealed directly to US president Donald Trump, urging him to“preserve peace” in a letter and calling on him to re-establish dialogue through the White House Special Envoy Richard Grenell.

The US looks unlikely to depart from its operations in the region. A recent US government document revealed that the Trump administration plans to redirect $1.8 billion in foreign aid funding toward a new“America First” strategy, moving away from traditional development and humanitarian programs and instead prioritize countering what it calls“Marxist, anti-American regimes” in Latin America.

The document, known as a Congressional Notification, was sent to Congress as part of the budget process and specifically names Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua as targets. It follows news that the upcoming National Defense Strategy will also mark a pivot for the US away from a focus on adversaries like China and Russia to instead prioritize efforts in the Americas.

Venezuela has received shows of support amidst increasing tensions, with allies in Beijing and Brasilia rejecting recent US actions. The latest came from the ALBA-TCP bloc that condemned the United States' military buildup in the Caribbean.

Member states warned that the manoeuvres violate international commitments, including the 2014 declaration of the region as“Zone of Peace” and the Tlatelolco Treaty, which prohibits nuclear weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean. The alliance further called for an urgent regional conference to address the escalation and demanded a withdrawal of US forces.

Foreign minister Yván Gil urged the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to take a united stance against external aggressions in the region and denounced aggressive US military posturing as attempts to destabilize sovereign nations.

The post Venezuela's Maduro moves to invoke emergency powers as US doubles down on its aggressive stance toward Latin America appeared first on Caribbean News Global .

MENAFN26092025000232011072ID1110116919