Trump on Wednesday confirmed he had greenlit CIA activity in Venezuela, claiming the country’s leaders had “emptied their prisons into the United States” and were allowing drug shipments northward.
The comments followed a New York Times report that the president empowered the agency to take direct or supporting action against Maduro or his government as part of a broader pressure campaign.Maduro likened Trump’s move to decades of US-backed coups across Latin America and beyond, citing past operations in Guatemala, Chile, Brazil and Iran.
The US has already hit about half a dozen boats in the southern Caribbean since the start of September, saying the vessels were transporting drugs to the US. The strikes have added to tensions with Maduro and prompted speculation that Washington may be preparing to attack Venezuela on land.
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