By Luis Felipe Mendoza – August 20, 2025 – ColombiaOne.com
The governments of Mexico, Colombia, and Cuba rejected the United States military deployment in waters near Venezuela, escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas. The Trump administration says it is using its naval assets to disrupt drug trafficking and pressure the government of Nicolas Maduro.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned that any attempt by the U.S. to invade Venezuela would risk turning the South American country into “another Syria” and would drag Colombia into the conflict.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she opposes any sort of military intervention in the region, invoking Mexico’s constitutional prohibition on foreign intervention and urging restraint from the U.S. government. Cuba’s government denounced the U.S.’s deployment as part of what it called a “corrupt agenda.”
US military deployment in Venezuela is officially intended to counter drug trafficking
U.S. officials say that the military deployment is intended to counter drug trafficking near Venezuela, as well as to pressure Maduro’s government, which the Trump administration calls illegitimate.
In remarks to his cabinet, President Petro said he warned he warned U.S. emissaries that military action in Venezuela would be a grave mistake and any sort of intervention would have regional consequences. Sheinbaum said Mexico’s position was “no to interventionism,” adding that the Mexican Constitution bars the nation from supporting foreign military action on its soil or in the region. Cuba’s statement blamed U.S. officials by name and urged that the Caribbean be respected as a “zone of peace.” Other South American countries, like Peru, have expressed their concern about the militarization of Caribbean waters. Regional diplomatic channels have been active as capitals monitor developments.
The White House has defended the deployment as a law-enforcement and counternarcotics operation intended to stop shipments of illegal drugs bound for the United States. U.S. officials say they are targeting transnational criminal organizations and have cast Maduro’s government as complicit with drug traffickers, a charge rejected by Caracas.
Tensions between the US and Venezuela continue to rise
The deployment came after the U.S. government increased the reward for information leading to the capture of Maduro and amid a broader U.S. effort that officials say is aimed at curbing illicit flows of drugs. Venezuelan officials and allied governments in the region have condemned the move, calling it an escalation that threatens stability and sovereignty.
Colombia and Venezuela share a long land border and complicated security ties. Petro said gangs and illicit economies that fuel violence operate on both sides of the frontier, and he called for coordinated action against criminal groups. He has continuously rejected foreign military intervention, as he labels it an unacceptable infringement on sovereignty. At the same time, Petro and Maduro’s government are working on establishing a “binational zone” at the Colombia-Venezuela border to address the mentioned issues.
Diplomatic sources in Bogota said the Colombian government has been dispatching senior officials to speak with international counterparts to urge de-escalation and to seek guarantees that any operations will respect sovereignty and avoid civilian harm.
