Global backlash as Trump confirms covert CIA operations in Venezuela
Shafaq News - Caracas
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed full support for Venezuela and its leader, Nicolas Maduro, after US President Donald Trump confirmed he had authorized covert CIA operations targeting the South American country.
In a post on X, Diaz-Canel condemned what he described as an “imperialist decision,” declaring Cuba’s solidarity with its long-time ally.
“At a time when the empire and its misguided leader have approved covert CIA operations against Venezuela, we express our solidarity with that brotherly nation, and especially with its President Nicolas Maduro,” he wrote, adding that Venezuela’s “popular, military and police unity” would overcome the new threats.
En momentos en que el imperio y su desatinado cabecilla aprueban operaciones encubiertas de la CIA contra #Venezuela, expresamos nuestra solidaridad con ese pueblo hermano y, especialmente, con su Presidente Nicolás Maduro.1/3 pic.twitter.com/Q7cQn0ne97
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) October 16, 2025
Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump confirmed a New York Times report that he had secretly approved CIA operations in Venezuela, citing two main reasons: the alleged transfer of Venezuelan prisoners to the United States and the flow of narcotics from Venezuela through the Caribbean.
“Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America,” Trump said. “And the other thing are drugs… we’re going to stop them by land also.”
His comments drew criticism from Democrats who labeled the operations unlawful under US and international law. Several Republicans also questioned their legality and potential to escalate tensions in the region.
Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, condemned the US airstrikes in the Caribbean as “a series of extrajudicial executions,” urging the UN Security Council to open an investigation.
He said five lethal attacks since September have left at least 27 people dead, describing the targets as “civilian vessels transiting international waters.” Holding up a newspaper showing two fishermen from Trinidad and Tobago believed to be among the victims, Moncada warned, “There is a killer prowling the Caribbean.”
In a letter to the Security Council, he called for a statement reaffirming the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of all states — including Venezuela. However, diplomats say any binding action is unlikely given the US veto power.
Since August, the United States has deployed at least three guided-missile destroyers and thousands of Marines near Venezuela, alongside B-52 bombers and special operations aircraft. Washington says the buildup is part of an expanded counter-narcotics campaign following Trump’s executive order designating major cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Pentagon insists the targets are suspected traffickers, but regional governments warn of rising risks of confrontation and miscalculation.
