Amid a new escalation of tension between Caracas and Washington, the Venezuelan regime's Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, issued a direct warning to the United States following the flight of American military aircraft near the state of Zulia.
The United States must understand that we are not savages, that we have rational capacity, that we think and feel... When they call us liars, there has to be a reaction, stated Padrino during a military event broadcasted on state television.
The military high command also stated, “Make no mistake, we know how to defend Venezuelan airspace,” assuring that the Bolivarian Armed Forces are ready to respond to what they termed as “provocations from the Pentagon.”
The statements come two days after two U.S. F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets flew over the Gulf between the states of Zulia and Falcón, in what was described as the closest incursion into Venezuelan territory in years, according to data from the Flightradar24 portal.
The aircraft conducted circular maneuvers in the area and then retreated to the north after turning off their transponders.
The area is considered of high military sensitivity for the Maduro regime, as it houses the naval base “Rafael Urdaneta,” the Western Integrated Defense Command, and several radar systems and anti-aircraft batteries.
On the same day, a U.S. surveillance drone MQ-4C Triton was also detected off the coast of Venezuela, one of the most advanced reconnaissance systems in the U.S. arsenal.
Padrino López accused Washington of attempting to “intimidate the Venezuelan people” and argued that the aerial maneuvers are part of a strategy of “systematic harassment” against chavismo.
“We will not be broken by their naval display. We are prepared to react and defend this country”, he stated, accompanied by military leaders and members of the high Bolivarian command.
The minister's speech aligns with a more aggressive approach from Nicolás Maduro's regime, which in recent days has reiterated its rejection of U.S. sanctions and has strengthened its military cooperation with Russia and Iran.
The Pentagon has not officially commented on the regime's claims, although military sources cited by U.S. media indicate that recent operations in the Caribbean are part of the Southern Lance Operation, presented as an initiative to monitor drug trafficking routes and to counteract illegal activities in the region.
Venezuela, for its part, has repeatedly denounced that this operation has a "hostile" nature and seeks to prepare the ground for a military aggression.
In response, the Chavista regime has conducted joint exercises with Russian troops and Iranian air units, claiming they are meant to "protect national sovereignty."
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