Cuba has accused the United States of violently removing Venezuela’s leadership, warning that the increased deployment of US military forces in the Caribbean represents an “exaggerated and aggressive” threat to regional stability.
“We appeal to the people of the United States to stop this madness,” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in a statement Tuesday.
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He cautioned that “the US government could cause untold numbers of deaths and create a scenario of violence and instability in the hemisphere that would be unimaginable”, adding that such actions would violate international law as well as the UN Charter.
#cuba Condemnation of the real increase in military life and affirmation of greater energy supply and full support to Los Terminus #Venezuela,
Are you in Guerra, what does the Secretary of the Estado have? ?Indeed those who were with a partner sold at the age of one year… pic.twitter.com/5O3RrbPsiI
– Bruno Rodriguez P (@BrunoRguezP) 25 November 2025
The condemnation comes as US President Donald Trump is considering additional action against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while the White House has ruled out more forceful measures.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Maduro of leading a drug smuggling operation into the US, even though he has provided no evidence to support his claim.
The US has bombed 21 boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean over the past two months, killing at least 83 people. Claims were made that these boats were involved in drug trafficking, but authorities have not released any evidence to suggest that drugs were present, and legal scholars argue that even if drugs were found, the attacks would still likely be a violation of international law.
The US military presence in the region is now the largest in decades, with approximately 15,000 US personnel deployed to the Caribbean region.
Trump has repeatedly stressed that he is not seeking to topple the Venezuelan government.
Nevertheless, recent developments have raised concerns about possible US intervention. On Saturday, the Reuters news agency cited four US officials and reported that Washington was preparing to enter a new phase of Venezuela-related operations, and two of those officials said options included attempting to overthrow Maduro.
Last month, Trump authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. Meanwhile, the US has also maintained a $50 million bounty for Maduro, a significant increase since Trump’s first term.
Maduro, who has ruled since 2013, says Washington’s goal is to remove him from power and says both Venezuela’s military and people would resist such efforts.
Tensions escalated further this week when the US formally added the Cartel de los Soles – or Cartel of the Sons – to its Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list. Cartel de los Sols is a term Venezuelans use to describe high-level corruption by senior officials and leaders of the country, but it is not an organized cartel.
Trump told advisers on Monday that he intended to speak directly to Maduro as soon as a date was yet to be announced.
a caribbean tour
Amid rising tensions, top US military officials began a tour of the Caribbean this week and met with leaders from the region.
Top US military official Dan Kaine traveled to Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday for talks with Prime Minister Kamala Prasad-Bissessar. According to a summary released by Kane’s office, the two reaffirmed bilateral relations and “exchanged views on challenges affecting the Caribbean region, including the destabilizing effects of illicit narcotics and the activities of transnational criminal organizations”.
Kaine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also assured Persad-Bissessar of Washington’s commitment to “address shared threats and deepen cooperation across the Caribbean region,” the Pentagon said.
He began his Caribbean tour on Monday with a stop in Puerto Rico, where he met with U.S. troops.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to continue diplomatic efforts in Santo Domingo on Wednesday, where he will meet with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader and Defense Minister Carlos Antonio Fernandez Onofre. The Pentagon said the purpose of the visit was to “strengthen defense relationships and reaffirm America’s commitment to defending the homeland.”
Most Caribbean leaders have reacted cautiously to US attacks on alleged drug-trafficking boats and called for restraint and dialogue. However, Prasad-Bissessar has openly supported the attacks.
In early September, he said he had no sympathy for drug traffickers, declaring that “the US military should kill them all violently”. His comments prompted criticism from regional figures and some domestic opposition politicians.
Former Trinidadian Foreign Minister Amerie Browne told local newspaper Newsday that the Prime Minister’s position is “reckless” and has alienated Trinidad and Tobago from the regional trade bloc CARICOM.
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