STORY: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivered an anti-war message to the people of the US on Friday (November 14), as he closed the International Jurists Meeting in Defense of International Law in Caracas.

"Stop the insane hand of those who order bombing, killing and bringing war to South America, to the Caribbean." Maduro said. "Stop the war. No to war," he added.

The two-day event gathered legal experts and academics to discuss threats to peace and regional stability.

Maduro made a call to understand the magnitude of today’s international challenges, especially the threats looming over the Caribbean Sea as a result of the military actions carried out by the U.S. government in that area.

His remarks came as Washington announced “Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR,” a military initiative aimed at targeting “narco-terrorists” in the Western Hemisphere.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday (November 13) the operation would be led by the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military activities across 31 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (NOVEMBER 14, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO GREETING PEOPLE DURING EVENT WITH INTERNATIONAL JURISTS

2. VARIOUS OF MADURO TALKING TO EVENT GUESTS

3. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT JORGE RODRIGUEZ HANDING A SIGNED DOCUMENT TO MADURO

4. MADURO SPEAKING DURING EVENT

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

“It is to the people of the United States that I speak to at this moment, before these 100 jurists from 34 countries, to say: stop the insane hand of those who order bombing, killing and bringing war to South America, to the Caribbean. Stop the war. No to war.”

6. AUDIENCE LISTENING TO MADURO / MADURO ON TELEVISION SCREEN

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

“Do we want another Gaza now in South America? What does the people of the United States say? Do you want a new Afghanistan, do you want Vietnam again, do you want Libya once more, or worse, do you want a new Gaza in South America? Let me tell you: no, no and no. Here peace will triumph, international law will triumph.”

8. MADURO SPEAKING / AUDIENCE APPLAUDING

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

“(English): Peace, peace, peace is the order. The order is peace. War no, war no, this no. (Continues in Spanish): Peace and life and love… peace, life and love. No to hate, no to eternal war and no to death. No, no, no.”

10. VARIOUS OF MADURO GREETING PEOPLE AND MAKING HEART SHAPED SIGN WITH HANDS