STORY: The Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro said the U.S. is making up "an eternal war" as the Trump administration announced a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean on Friday (October 24), including plans to deploy the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to Latin America.

The deployment, which would add to eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and F-35 aircraft already in the region, marks a significant escalation amid heightened tensions with Venezuela, whose government Washington has long accused of harbouring drug traffickers and undermining democratic institutions.

Maduro defended Venezuela as a drug‑free country, adding that Venezuela will put an end to the cocaine trafficking that comes from neighbouring Colombia.

The Gerald R. Ford, which was commissioned in 2017, is the United States' newest aircraft carrier and the world's largest, with more than 5,000 sailors aboard. Trump hasn't specified when the carrier will depart for the region.

On Friday, CNN reported Trump is considering plans to target facilities producing cocaine and routes used for drug trafficking inside Venezuela but has not yet decided whether to proceed, citing three U.S. officials.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (OCTOBER 24, 2025) (VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT TV – Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO WALKING WITH SUPPORTERS IN A TOURISTIC AGRIGULTURAL PROJECT

2. MADURO GREETING SUPPORTERS

3. MADURO WALKING

4. MADURO SPEAKING

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING (SOUNDBITE STARTS WITH SHOT OF SOLDIERS):

"And the people of the United States know it—they're making up a new eternal war. They promised that they will never enter a war and they're making up a war that we will avoid. How? With the mobilisation of the peoples of South America. As South America and the Caribbean all say: no to war, yes to peace, yes to prosperity, yes to harmony and living together."

6. ATTENDEES LISTENING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING (SOUNDBITE RUNS OVER SHOTS OF MADURO, ATTENDEES):

"Venezuela is a country free of coca leaf production, free of cocaine production, and we will achieve 100% elimination of the remaining 5% of drug transit that comes from Colombia. We will achieve it."

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING (SOUNDBITE RUNS OVER TWO SHOTS OF ATTENDEES AND ENDS WITH SHOT OF MADURO):

"They can't say we're building a nuclear weapon; they can't say we have missiles pointing at U.S. cities, right? And as they can't say so, they make up an extravagant, vulgar, criminal and absolutely false narrative."

9. MADURO SPEAKING

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO, SAYING:

"I tell the people of the United States it's vulgar, extravagant, lying, false, denying reality—the narrative they make about Venezuela, about the Bolivarian revolution, about the workers' president, the president of the people, the president of the barrios, Nicolas Maduro Moros."

11. MADURO SINGING