The United States has conducted a targeted strike on a facility in Venezuela, as confirmed by President Donald Trump. During a radio show with Republican donor John Catsimatidis, Trump mentioned the recent strike on a significant plant without providing specific details, stating, “Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard.”
This action is part of Trump’s ongoing four-month pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro. Trump has emphasized his readiness to escalate pressure on the Maduro government, initially aimed at combating illegal drug activities but evolving over time.
As part of this campaign, Trump’s administration has seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela. Recently, Venezuela’s parliament passed a measure criminalizing acts that impede navigation and commerce within the country, responding to the US seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers in international waters.
While some nations, including Panama and Argentina, support the US actions, Venezuela’s government has criticized them as violations of international law. Despite international concerns, political opposition figures, such as María Corina Machado, have backed Trump’s policies towards Venezuela.
Maduro, indicted in 2020 on narcoterrorism charges in the US, has been accused of leading the Cartel de los Soles, labeled a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. The term “Cartel de los Soles” originated in the 1990s to describe top military officials involved in drug activities and has since broadened to encompass corruption across various sectors in Venezuela.
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