Trump warns Venezuelan jets could be shot down

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Friday that his country would enter a phase of “armed struggle” if attacked.

At present, Venezuela remains in a “phase of unarmed struggle,” but any aggression would prompt a response from “the whole people, whether locally, regionally, or nationally.”

Maduro made the remarks during the operational and organisational activation of the entire Bolivarian National Militia, noting that the country is currently in an “enlistment and preparation phase.” Venezuela is preparing to deploy the defensive, training, and retraining capacities of its population, with citizens receiving training to defend the country against potential US military actions during “activation days.”

The president also demanded that US President Donald Trump “abandon his plan for a violent regime change in Venezuela and across Latin America and the Caribbean, and respect the sovereignty, right to peace, and independence of our countries.”

The comments follow Trump’s warning on Friday that Venezuelan military aircraft would be “shot down” if they approached US naval vessels. This came after two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over a US ship dispatched to the region to combat criminal organisations and “narco-terrorism.”

“They’re going to be in trouble. We’ll let them know about that… if they fly in a dangerous position,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, describing the F-16 overflight as “highly provocative,” according to the Pentagon.

Maduro maintained that Venezuela has always been willing to talk with the US but insisted on respect for the country’s sovereignty.

Earlier on Friday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said that the deployment of US aircraft, including 10 F-35 fighter jets to a base in Puerto Rico, posed a threat to the Maduro government. Gil claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the deployment under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, calling it “the biggest lie.”

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