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In the midst of the greatest military tension between the United States and Venezuela in two decades, an exchange on social media between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez revealed the political clash that accompanies the escalation in the Caribbean.
It all began when Rodríguez accused the U.S. government this Tuesday of "lying" and attempting to "normalize and legitimize a military aggression against Venezuela," referring to the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, the most advanced and lethal of the American Navy, which has just entered Caribbean waters as part of Operation "Southern Lance."
The Cuban chancellor, one of the strongest international defenders of Nicolás Maduro, denounced what he called a "dishonest maneuver" by Washington to associate the Venezuelan leader with drug trafficking and terrorism.
In his message, he also held "Florida politicians" responsible for promoting attacks against Venezuela, in a direct allusion that left no room for doubt.
The response didn’t take long.
Rubio: a clown as a political replica
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, responded from his personal account with a GIF of a clown with a red wig, openly mocking Rodríguez's message. He added no words and offered no explanations. He simply left the image, which for many users conveyed more than any diplomatic statement.
The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, accompanied by eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 aircraft, has abruptly altered the balance of power in the region. The White House claims it aims to "cut the drug trafficking routes" linked to the Cartel of the Suns, which the State Department will designate as a terrorist organization starting November 24.
But in Caracas, they see something else: the prelude to an intervention. And in Havana, Maduro's historical ally, the narrative portrays an "empire" inventing excuses to justify a war.
In the midst of that tension, Trump surprised by suggesting that there could be "conversations" with Maduro, an ambiguous message that added confusion to an already explosive situation.
For many Venezuelans both inside and outside the country, as well as for thousands of Cubans watching the future of a key ally, the question is whether the conflict will escalate or if diplomacy will have one last chance.
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