Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has mobilised 4.5 million civilian fighters in response to a major U.S. military deployment near Latin America and the Caribbean.
Speaking to local officials from his ruling coalition, Maduro described the move as a strategy to safeguard national sovereignty against what he labelled as "U.S. threats of war".
His plan includes strengthening both rural and urban rebel groups and forming combat units within factories and workplaces. He called the approach a "perfect fusion of people, police and armed forces".
The announcement follows a sharp escalation in rhetoric between Caracas and Washington. Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest over alleged ties to international drug trafficking. Maduro has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
Meanwhile, U.S. defence officials confirmed the deployment of more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the region. The naval package includes the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, and a nuclear-powered attack submarine, among other assets. While their specific destination remains undisclosed.
Pentagon sources say the buildup enhances President Donald Trump’s strategic options against cartels designated as narco-terrorists.
Officials insist the deployment is designed as a deterrent, not a precursor to military action. However, questions remain about the readiness of U.S. forces for counter-narcotics missions, with defence sources noting that Marines lack specialised training in such operations and would need to coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard for interdiction tasks.
The simultaneous military moves have fuelled regional anxieties, as both sides frame their actions as defensive while accusing the other of escalating tensions.
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A U.S. federal judge raised concerns on Thursday about whether sanctions preventing Venezuela from funding the legal defense of Nicolás Maduro could violate his constitutional rights, though he did not dismiss the drug-trafficking charges against the former leader.
Recent operations by the U.S. military have led some to believe that a decapitating strike is a silver bullet capable of fixing any foreign policy problem swiftly. However, this logic is flawed, and the risks of relying on swift, targeted actions are too great to ignore.
The United States and interim authorities in Venezuela have agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday (5 February), aiming to foster a peaceful transition to elect a new government in the South American country.
Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab and Ombudsman Alfredo Ruiz tendered their resignations to the National Assembly on Wednesday. Neither official has publicly provided reasons for stepping down.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S is in talks with the new Iranian regime. He said this in a post on his Truth Social account but warned that the U.S. will "Obliterate" Iran's electric and oil facilities if no deal is reached, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz closure.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
The war in Iran has rapidly upended regional security, triggering spillover across the Middle East and raising fears of wider economic disruption that could threaten globalisation.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began on Tehran. It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early 30 March but gave no further details.
A Russia-flagged tanker carrying about 700,000 barrels of crude has arrived in Cuba’s Matanzas Bay, marking the first major oil delivery to the island since the Trump administration cut off its fuel supplies.
China and Kenya have agreed to revive a long-delayed railway project, signalling renewed momentum in infrastructure cooperation and a shift towards more sustainable financing models across Africa.
HHungary’s foreign minister has been drawn into controversy after an audio recording, released by an investigative outlet, appeared to show him discussing EU sanctions with his Russian counterpart days before an election that could shape Budapest’s relationship with Moscow, Reuters reports.
The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and several EU foreign ministers arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre and to voice their support for Ukraine, amid tensions within the bloc over blocked EU aid.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 31 March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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