Maduro urges Trump to choose peace amid U.S. naval operation off Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to “avoid provoking another war” and “give peace a chance,” as U.S. forces intensify operations near Venezuelan waters.

“Enough of endless wars. Enough of unjust wars. No more Libya. No more Afghanistan,” Maduro said at a rally in Caracas, responding to a CNN journalist’s question about his message to the American people. “The peoples of the United States and Venezuela must unite for peace across the continent,” he added.

Asked if he had a message for Trump, Maduro replied in English: “Yes, peace. Yes, peace.” He declined to say whether he feared U.S. aggression, emphasizing instead that his focus was on “governing the country peacefully.”

Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out at least 19 strikes against maritime targets near Venezuela as part of Operation Southern Spear, described by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a mission to “secure the Western Hemisphere from narco-terrorist threats.”

Maduro accused Washington of using the anti-narcotics campaign as a pretext to “seize Venezuela’s natural resources” and “install a puppet government.”