Maduro Declares State of Emergency in Response to US Naval Presence in Caribbean

Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro has signed a decree declaring a state of external emergency in response to what his government calls growing “threats” from the United States, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced Monday.

The decree grants Maduro expanded powers in matters of defense and national security in the event of a U.S. military attack. Rodríguez said the measure is necessary due to the presence of U.S. military forces near Venezuelan waters — a deployment Washington says is part of an effort to combat drug trafficking, but which Caracas views as a pretext to force regime change.

Maduro said last week he was considering issuing the decree amid what his government describes as escalating aggression from the United States, and while citing the massive military force the U.S. has positioned in the Caribbean.

“Our goal is to ensure that the entire nation, every citizen, has the support and protection of all the forces of Venezuelan society to respond to any threat or attack against our country,” Maduro said in a televised address. He argued that the emergency declaration is necessary to safeguard Venezuela’s sovereignty and stability during a period of heightened tensions with Washington.

Under Article 338 of Venezuela’s constitution, a declaration of external emergency, known as “Declaración de Conmoción Externa,” allows the government to temporarily suspend certain constitutional guarantees — though not fundamental rights such as the right to life or protections against torture. The emergency measure can last up to 90 days and may be extended once for an additional 90 days. It must be approved by the Council of Ministers, submitted to the National Assembly and reviewed by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court within eight days.

The U.S. has maintained that its operations in the Caribbean are intended to disrupt drug trafficking networks. Earlier this month, the Trump administration launched what officials described as the largest military deployment in the region in decades. The operation includes warships, F-35 fighter jets and thousands of personnel, with the stated goal of targeting transnational criminal organizations and drug smuggling routes.

The Venezuelan regime has condemned the deployment as an act of coercion and a potential prelude to intervention. Tensions spiked in early September, when U.S. forces carried out strikes on speedboats allegedly transporting narcotics from Venezuela. At least 17 people were killed in the operations, according to reports provided by President Trump on his Truth Social account.

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