The US Navy has officially announced that the USS Gerald R Ford, recognized as the world’s newest and largest aircraft carrier, has entered the operational area of the US Southern Command. This command oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The arrival of the USS Gerald R Ford, along with its accompanying strike group, which consists of numerous aircraft and destroyer ships, signals a significant escalation in the ongoing military buildup between the United States and Venezuela.
In response to the US naval presence off its coast, the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced what it describes as a “massive deployment” of its own military forces. This includes land, sea, air, river, and missile units, alongside civilian militias, all aimed at countering the perceived threat from the US. The deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford marks the largest buildup of US military assets in the region in decades, comparable to the military presence during the invasion of Panama in 1989.
Former President Donald Trump has framed the substantial military buildup as part of a broader “war on drugs,” targeting traffickers allegedly involved in smuggling narcotics through Caribbean and Pacific waters. This campaign has included airstrikes on vessels, resulting in the deaths of at least 76 individuals in South American waters since September. The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, confirmed in a statement that the USS Gerald R Ford, carrying “more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft,” is poised to enhance the US military’s ability to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit activities in the region.
Analysts suggest that the heightened military presence and attacks on boats could be part of a strategy to pressure Maduro to resign, particularly following allegations of election fraud in last year’s elections. Maduro has accused the US government of “fabricating a new war,” claiming that the naval deployment represents “the greatest threat our continent has faced in the past 100 years.”
Before the US Navy confirmed the arrival of the USS Gerald R Ford, the Venezuelan regime initiated a new phase of military deployment against what they termed US “imperial threats.” State television aired footage of military leaders delivering speeches across various states in Venezuela.
At the recent Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) summit held in Colombia, a joint declaration was signed by 58 of the 60 nations in attendance. This declaration rejected “the use or threat of use of force and any action not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” although it did not explicitly reference the United States. Notably, Venezuela and Nicaragua were the only countries that did not sign this declaration, with Maduro's regime reportedly anticipating a more robust condemnation of US actions.
Additionally, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is currently negotiating a deal with Trump to significantly reduce tariffs on Brazilian imports, refrained from directly criticizing Washington. He emphasized that “We are a zone of peace. We don’t need war here. The problem in Venezuela is a political one, and it must be resolved through politics.”
