Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013, says Trump is seeking to oust him and that Venezuelan citizens and the military will resist any such attempt. The U.S. military dwarfs Venezuela’s, which is debilitated by a lack of training, low wages and deteriorating equipment, six sources familiar with Venezuela’s military capabilities said. That reality has led Maduro’s government to bet on two potential strategies - including a guerrilla-style response referenced publicly, though without details, by high-ranking officials, and another which officials have not acknowledged. Venezuelan troops, however, have to deal with poor working conditions and there could be desertions in the event of an attack, the sources said. Venezuelan opposition groups, NGOs, Washington and some Latin American governments have accused Maduro’s administration and the Venezuelan military of ties to drug trafficking, especially in the country’s west, where Colombian guerrilla groups like the National Liberation Army operate and coca, the base ingredient in cocaine, is widely cultivated.

Source: Huffington Post November 11, 2025 20:19 UTC