(MENAFN) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday denounced what he labeled as escalating “imperialist ambitions” by the United States, warning they pose a threat to peace and stability across the Caribbean and Latin America.

Speaking at a National Sovereignty and Peace Council session in Caracas, Maduro declared Venezuela’s intent to avoid conflict, stating, “We do not want war in the Caribbean or in Latin America -- we only want peace.”

He sharply criticized Washington’s regional military activity, accusing the U.S. of seeking dominance. “They use power to impose a single way of thinking, a single system, and a single authority,” he said. “This era is long over.”

Maduro further claimed the CIA has been behind destabilizing actions in multiple countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Argentina, and Chile. He called on Latin American nations to unite in opposition to U.S. interventionism.

“The Venezuelan people are dignified, compassionate, and hardworking. They are trying to create a narrative in which Venezuelans are portrayed as bad, while superior, racist whites are portrayed as good,” he stated. “It is time to end the discriminatory and xenophobic discourse that equates Venezuelan identity with criminal organizations that have already been dismantled in our country.”

U.S. Military Presence Draws Fire from Caracas
Maduro’s remarks follow heightened U.S. military activity near Venezuelan waters. A prior executive order by then-President Donald Trump authorized increased deployment of American naval forces in the region, purportedly to combat Latin American drug cartels.

In line with that directive, U.S. warships and submarines were stationed off Venezuela’s coast in late August. The move escalated tensions, especially after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared the military was positioned for operations in Venezuela — including, if needed, regime change.

In response, Maduro mobilized a reported 4.5 million civilian militia members, vowing to defend the country against any foreign incursion.

Caracas, along with various international observers, has condemned U.S. interdiction of vessels off Venezuelan shores under the guise of counter-narcotics efforts, describing them as violations of international law.

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