Standing Up To The Bully: Moscow Rejects U.S. Attacks In the Caribbean

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov once again denounced U.S. actions taken against Venezuela yesterday, particularly the blowing up of nineteen small vessels that have claimed the lives of dozens of people not shown to have committed any crimes, let alone crimes deserving an instant death penalty without trial.

"On the pretext of fighting narco-trafficking it arbitrarily destroys boats without evidence that they are transporting drugs, as they claim," Lavrov said, adding that "that's not how countries that respect the law behave; it's how countries that believe themselves above it behave."

The top Russian diplomat, citing a recent article published in the British Daily Mail to the effect that corruption in the Belgian Embassy "is converting that country into a narco-state," recommended that Washington direct its drug war efforts there rather than to the global south. "Instead of fighting narco-trafficking in Nigeria or Venezuela, and while you're at it trying to keep their oil," he advised, "it would be better to dedicate your efforts to eradicating the rot in Belgium." 

Lavrov observed ironically that since the U.S. and other NATO member states already have troops stationed in Belgium, it's really unnecessary to attack Caribbean fishing boats with a handful of people on board. "I'm convinced the Trump administration's policy towards Venezuela isn't going to bring anything good nor will it increase U.S. prestige in international circles," he said.

The foreign minister denied that Venezuela had requested military aid from Russia in response to escalating U.S. threats against Caracas, as has been alleged by the international press based on anonymous sourcing, still less was the Kremlin going to install arms in the South American country. 

Deputies of the Russian Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, yesterday approved a declaration condemning the U.S. military presence off the coast of Venezuela, which includes the largest aircraft carrier in the world, guided missile destroyers, fighter planes, bombers (B-52 nuclear bombers regularly overfly Caracas to "terrorize" President Maduro, according to the Department of Homeland Security), elite helicopters, and at least ten thousand U.S. troops, a show of force that began in August. The legislators exhorted the international community "to firmly condemn the build-up of U.S. military force in the southern Caribbean, next to Venezuelan territorial waters, with the excuse of fighting narco-trafficking." The deputies "oppose Washington's aggressive and provocative actions" against Venezuela, "a sovereign state," which "contravenes universally accepted principles and norms of international law."

The document denounced the "attempts from outside to impose a puppet government" and maintained that the Venezuelan people "made their choice in favor of independence and defending their sovereignty."

Sources:

Juan Pablo Duch, "Moscow Rejects Washington's Harassment of Caracas and the Arbitrary Destruction of Boats," La Jornada (Spanish), November 12, 2025

Angel Gonzalez, "Venezuela Activates Massive Military Deployment In The Face of Possible U.S. Aggression," La Jornada (Spanish), November 12, 2025

"The United States Destroys Another Boat in the Caribbean With a Total of Three Dead," La Jornada (Spanish), November 7, 2025