A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged Washington to “do more to contribute to peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The guided-missile destroyer USS Carney has been patrolling near Venezuela, sparking strong reactions from Beijing.
China condemned the U.S. move, stating it rejects “the use of force or threats in international relations.” At a press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stressed that Beijing “opposes any action violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter or breaching the sovereignty and safety of other countries.”
“We oppose the use of force or threats in international relations and foreign powers interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext,” Mao added.
She urged Washington to shift course and “do more to contribute to peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
U.S. Military Presence Expands
Reuters reported Wednesday that the U.S. ordered an amphibious squadron to the region. The deployment includes the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying about 4,500 service members, including 2,200 Marines. The ships could arrive as early as Sunday.
Maduro Calls for Regional Unity
The development has dominated political debate in Venezuela. President Nicolás Maduro called on allied nations to unite in defense of Venezuela’s “right to sovereignty, peace, and self-determination.”
Speaking at an extraordinary ALBA-TCP summit, Maduro first appealed to Venezuelans for national unity “to guarantee peace with sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-determination.”
He then urged regional leaders:
“I dare, brothers of Latin America and the Caribbean, to call for the union of all rebel people, social movements, to defend Venezuela’s right to sovereignty, peace, self-determination, and its own development.”
Maduro reminded attendees—including representatives from Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, and St. Lucia—that “our union is what has made us strong.”
Following the meeting, the bloc released a joint statement condemning the U.S.’s “imperialistic and destabilizing policy,” accusing Washington of using “unilateral coercive measures, diplomatic blackmail, and media campaigns” to undermine peace and sovereignty in the region.
U.S. Embassy Issues Warning
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela warned American citizens and residents against traveling within the country.
In a social media post, the embassy cited “grave risks of illegal detention, torture while in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, unfair police actions, violent crime, and civil unrest.”
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