Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has reaffirmed his nation’s unwavering commitment to peace, sovereignty, and dignity, unveiling a new plan to strengthen territorial defense amid reports of renewed US covert activity in the region.
In a televised address on Wednesday, Maduro declared the establishment of Comprehensive Defense Zones along the country’s western frontier with Colombia, including the states of Táchira, Apure, and Amazonas, areas long regarded as vital to national security and regional stability.
“Venezuela continues to earn peace by exercising full sovereignty and defending the right to life and joy of its people,” the president said. “We are a model of dignity, courage, and hard work, a people determined to live in peace and to defend our homeland with honor.”
The head of state hailed the progress achieved under his government, despite external pressures, emphasizing that Venezuela’s endurance had turned it into “a model nation” for others in the Global South.
He called on citizens and the armed forces to remain on high alert, urging maximum mobilization and readiness in the coming days to safeguard the country’s borders.
“We must multiply our efforts,” he said. “Sovereignty is not a slogan. It is an active duty, and every Venezuelan must take part in its defense.”
The president described the new defense zones as “examples of development and resistance,” designed to strengthen coordination between the military, the Bolivarian militias, and local communities in countering any external or covert threats.
“Day by day, we are surpassing ourselves, preparing for defense, and nurturing a creative and conscious popular resistance,” Maduro affirmed.
US covert operations report raises alarms
The remarks came just hours after The New York Times reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump had secretly authorized CIA covert operations targeting Venezuela, including the potential for deadly strikes on Venezuelan soil.
The alleged plan, approved in 2024, marks a serious escalation in Washington’s longstanding campaign to destabilize the Bolivarian Republic, the report said, citing unnamed sources.
According to the investigation, the covert authorization expands beyond previous US attacks on vessels off Venezuela’s coast – incidents officially justified under anti-narcotics operations, but which have resulted in at least 27 deaths.
The alleged objective, sources claimed, remained the overthrow of Maduro’s government.
While no official confirmation has surfaced regarding active CIA operations, the report’s timing has fueled concerns in Caracas and across Latin America that Washington might be seeking to reignite hybrid warfare tactics against Venezuela.
Maduro says Venezuelans will never surrender against Western imperialism https://t.co/nVRe9OFl9W
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) October 4, 2025
Caracas condemns Washington’s ‘neo-colonial aggression’
Venezuelan officials swiftly condemned the revelation, describing it as “yet another violation of international law” and an example of Washington’s “neo-colonial arrogance.”
“These covert schemes will fail just as every other imperialist attempt has failed,” said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson. “The Bolivarian Republic stands firm – united, sovereign, and prepared.”