USA creates climate of tension with ships, but analysts see only ‘psychological war’ against Venezuela

Operation is interpreted symbolic action and political pressure campaign, without immediate risk of military confrontation

The United States tried to push and create a climate of tension in Venezuela by announcing the sending of three military ships to the southern Caribbean. The American movement has been read as a threat and a “psychological attack” to the South American country, with White House investers and a statement that US President Donald Trump will use “all strength” against Nicolás Maduro’s government.

However, the climate of panic did not materialize in Venezuela during the week, and the alert created in other countries around the sending of military ships has also reduced.

For political scientist William Serafino, from the Central University of Venezuela, the US country has as its main objective in this movement the demonstration of strength on a continent considered key to Washington for the historical predominance in the region. According to him, Venezuela enters this dispute for being the main articulator with Russians and Chinese in South America.

“The goal is to send a message of authority, especially to China, the power that has been undermining US influence in the region. Therefore, the maneuver aims at Venezuela: she is a founding actor of rising multipolarity, very close to China. And it has been the political engine of all the integration processes that, even now weakened, offer a sovereign and independent horizon in the US geopolitical domination,” he says.

Washington’s justification for sending the vessels is the fight against drug trafficking in Latin America, especially groups that carry drugs to the US. The analysis is that reviving the narrative of “narcoterrorism” and the “fight against cartels” is a quick way to demarcate this hegemony in the region.

There is, however, a word game in statements made by the US. Donald Trump’s government spokesman Karoline Leavitt said the United States would use “all the strength” against Venezuela. Earlier, the State Department had increased the reward for the arrest of Nicolás Maduro to $ 50 million and, without evidence, reiterated that the Venezuelan agent would be head of the Sobs Cartel, an alleged criminal organization, on which there is no official information.

Former Venezuelan’s geners and international analyst Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein understands that these statements represent a piece in US strategy of pressure on the Caribbean country, but do not mean a change in continuous threats suffered since former President Hugo Chavez took over in 1999. For him, it is possible that ships even reach the Venezuelan coast.

“Marco Rubio always lies and uses this as a strategy. It is different what is said to what is done. We have been threatened for 26 years. We had a blow, guarimba, imposition of an illegal president, maritime and terrestrial invasion… They have been here to block food and medicines that would arrive in Venezuela. We cannot build policy based on US statements,” he says.

Shipping is not a new threat. On April 1, 2020, Trump had already made the same “complaints” to send troops to the region. At the time, the headlines were the same: “US Navy goes to the Caribbean to fight drug trafficking.” The White House had a repeated work of accusing Maduro of joining a terrorist group. The operation 5 years ago has not gone to anything either.

The southern Caribbean Sea is a strategic region for Venezuela because it is where the ships that carry oil exports travel. Sanctions against the country were implemented in 2017 and also have this focus from preventing the Maduro government from selling its main product in the international market.

A military movement in the region creates discomfort to intimidate exports made to pierce the US blockade.

Internal response

There is a dispute within the United States Republican Party between two well -defined wings. One is led by Marco Rubio. Descendant of Cubans, he is one of the main voices against leftist governments in Latin America. Its support is mainly part of Latin immigrants living in the US and, in this case, especially Venezuelans who position themselves against Maduro.

For Serafino, it is possible for US troops to seize drug load seizures and associate Venezuela to feed a “psychological war” and negative propaganda against the Chavista government. This, according to him, would increase a confrontation against the Venezuelans through a narrative that has been built two decades ago.

“So far the offensive is performative. This may change, but all elements seem to indicate that it is an operation designed to satisfy the tough line interventionist sectors within the Republican Party, which have been pressuring for years to use force against Venezuela. ‘Cartel dos Sóis,’ ”he said.

Getting some argument to support the thesis that the Sobs Cartel exists would be an achievement for this block. This would avoid at first a military escalation read by Serafino as “risky and irreversible.”

Although an American military foray is unlikely, analysts understand that these statements maintain a warning sign for the Venezuelan army, which is already constantly prepared to deal with threats.

“There is a country’s defense plan that is permanently activated and does not vary according to US statements. The Venezuelan army has strategic patience. The US armed forces know that a military movement would be to waste time and resources. The US does not want a war in Venezuela, they want the ‘rear courtyard’. They have other problems to deal, such as Ukraine and Israel,” Gelfenstein said.

Venezuelan Defense

Caracas has observed carefully, but calmly the American movements. So far, the Maduro government has issued a statement saying that Washington’s “desperate” attitude is a reflection of the “failure of policies in the region.”

In addition, Maduro also requested the mobilization of 4.5 million Venezuelan militiamen to defend the country from foreign attacks. Bolivarian militia (popular brigades) is an organization formed in 2009 by civilians and retired military in their paintings. They receive personal defense training and territory inspection in their different contexts (urban and rural). The militia began to compose one of Venezuela’s five armed forces, which has a different structure from Brazil.

In recent weeks, the government has denounced plans for attacks organized by paramilitary groups. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello conducted three collective interviews last week detailing the seizure of explosives and identifying the attacks planned by groups that would be linked to the far right.

For Serafino, the line that the Venezuelan government has adopted is the correct one: denouncing the attacks, but maintaining the climate of tranquility for the population.

“The government is prioritizing surgical operations to dismantle violent plans and communicate current risks, promoting political mobilization around the issue, in the light of the dangers underlying the movement launched by the United States. I believe this approach has been correct: awareness and disseminate information, but without feeding the climate of psychological coercion that the media and spokesmen try to establish,” he said.

Military displacement

The tension around US ships originates from the war potential of this structure that was shifted south of the Caribbean. The US Navy stated that it would be sending the Iwo Jima Amphibity Group and the 22nd Expeditionary Unit of Marines, which are part of the Southern Command. This means the presence of USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale and USS San Antonio and 4,000 Marines Naval.

These ships are part of the Arleigh Burke class, the main structure of the US Navy. These vessels are able to simultaneously promote terrestrial, air, sea and even submarines. According to Reuters news agency, the mission also includes P-8 Poseidon, war ships and at least one nuclear attack submarine.

This whole set of military ships is part of the Aegis combat system, developed during the 20th century and updated to improve attack tracking. They are able to carry airplanes and helicopters, and have a hospital structure.

For Gelfenstein, it is not possible to know if the US will not even send these ships to the southern Caribbean. He understands that these statements are part of Washington’s permanent pressure strategy of Caracas.

Venezuelan military heard by Brazil in fact state that Venezuela not only maintains the permanent warning sign, but also has a qualified military structure to respond to foreign attacks. Former President Hugo Chávez completely changed the armament of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, who was formerly American. Over the past 20 years, the entire Military Aporer of Venezuela has become Russian.

Caracas’ goal was to reduce US dependence on the military sector at a time of attacking the White House against Chavist governments.

In 2005, Venezuela had already become the largest buyer of Russian weapons in Latin America. From there, this business relationship grew even more. That year, the two countries already had military contracts signed in the amount of $ 11 billion ($ 62 billion) and negotiated another $ 2 billion ($ 124 billion), according to state Russian Rostec.

Even with the blockade, Russia sent two Tu-160 fighters to Venezuela in 2018 and in 2019 inaugurated a military helicopter training and maintenance center in the country. Within a military cooperation project, Russia inaugurated that same year a SU-M30 aircraft flight simulation center, where Venezuelan pilots can train to operate these fighters.

This military cooperation has been further strengthened in recent months. In July 2024, the Russians sent military ships for a four -day visit to Venezuela. The objective was to deepen the “technical-military cooperation” between the two countries, according to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López.

Originally published by Brazil de Fato on 08/22/2025

By Lorenzo Santiago – Caracas (Venezuela)

Edition: Geisa Marques