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Venezuela's Maduro says the US is 'fabricating' a war as aircraft carrier travels to region

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Saturday, October 25th 2025 at 15:56 GMT by Associated Press
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Maduro Accuses U.S. of “Fabricating a War” as Aircraft Carrier Circles Venezuelan Coast

In a televised address on Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned that the United States was “fabricating a war” and that the presence of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Caribbean was part of a broader effort to destabilize the nation. The comments came as the U.S. Navy’s USS Dwight D. Eisenhower departed the Panama Canal, making its way toward the region, an action that has been seen by Caracas as a provocation amid years of escalating tensions between the two countries.

Maduro, who has faced mounting economic hardship and political isolation, used the speech to rally domestic support against what he called U.S. aggression. “The United States is staging a war that has no objective and no reason,” he declared. “It is using its naval power to threaten our sovereignty, while at the same time it has been imposing a series of unfair sanctions that cripple our economy.” He further accused Washington of “playing with the lives of our citizens” by restricting access to essential goods and services through a “broad spectrum of economic weapons.”

The U.S. carrier, reported by the Department of Defense as “Eisenhower (CVN‑69)”, is the flagship of the U.S. Seventh Fleet and has been deployed in the Atlantic Ocean to support operations in the Caribbean and Central America. The ship’s itinerary included a stop at the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, before heading toward the northern coast of Venezuela. According to the U.S. Navy’s public statement, the movement was “a routine exercise in maritime security” aimed at maintaining freedom of navigation and deterrence.

Maduro’s remarks echoed earlier statements by Venezuelan officials who have condemned U.S. sanctions as “unlawful” and “unfair”. A report by the Associated Press on 17 March 2024 detailed the U.S. Treasury’s recent expansion of sanctions on the state‑owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), a measure that Maduro’s government claims will further hamper the country’s ability to finance public services. The U.S. sanctions also target key Venezuelan officials and companies tied to the regime, tightening the economic squeeze that has driven the country toward hyperinflation and food shortages.

In a separate development, the U.S. Department of State had earlier announced plans to send additional diplomatic staff to Washington to reinforce its stance against the Venezuelan government. The State Department released a statement on 12 March, describing the U.S. position as a “democratic partnership” that seeks to support the Venezuelan people, a phrase that Maduro has dismissed as “propaganda”.

Maduro also invoked the support of regional allies, particularly Cuba and Nicaragua, who have historically backed the Venezuelan government. He cited Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel’s statement on 24 January that the United States “continues to threaten the sovereignty of Latin America”, and referred to the recent meeting between Maduro and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in Managua, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to “solidarity against external aggression.”

The President’s remarks were delivered in the context of the ongoing “Peace and Prosperity” summit in Caracas, a gathering of left‑wing parties and civil society groups. The summit, organized by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), aimed to discuss strategies for economic recovery and to counter U.S. pressure. The event also attracted the participation of several foreign dignitaries, including representatives from Bolivia, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

While the U.S. maintains that its naval operations are routine and defensive, Venezuela’s diplomatic corps has repeatedly warned that such deployments could trigger an “armed conflict” if misinterpreted. In an interview with Reuters on 27 March, Ambassador Santiago Pérez of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations said that the U.S. would continue to monitor “all movements in the region” and would “take appropriate action if necessary to ensure safety and security.”

Maduro’s denunciation of the carrier’s presence was met with mixed reactions domestically. Supporters of the government praised his stance as a defense of national sovereignty, while critics, including members of the National Assembly who have faced arrests in recent months, called the President’s statements “propaganda designed to distract from the country’s humanitarian crisis.”

Analysts suggest that Maduro’s comments are part of a broader strategy to consolidate power by framing internal dissent as a consequence of external interference. Professor María‑Alejandra Sánchez, a political scientist at the University of Caracas, notes that “Maduro’s rhetoric taps into longstanding narratives of external betrayal, which historically has helped rally public sentiment against perceived foreign aggression.”

The U.S. Navy’s movement of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is set to continue as the ship completes a series of exercises with allied navies in the Atlantic. While Washington has stated that its primary objective remains “maritime security”, the presence of such a powerful vessel near Venezuelan waters is a clear signal of continued U.S. interest in the country’s political future. Whether the carrier’s passage will provoke diplomatic incidents or remain a ceremonial gesture remains to be seen, but Maduro’s insistence that the United States is “fabricating a war” underscores the escalating tensions that persist between Caracas and Washington.