US Tightens Pressure on Maduro in Venezuela
Strategic flight of a US bomber, terrorist designation against Maduro’s inner circle, and the regime’s rejection heighten hemispheric tensions in an increasingly risky scenario
By Darine Waked (La Estrella de Panamá)
HAVANA TIMES – Tension in the Caribbean escalated sharply after a US Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber flew near Venezuelan airspace. The aircraft took off Monday morning from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and, after a route that included New Orleans and Cancún, arrived near Aruba around 6:05 p.m., off the Paraguaná Peninsula.
According to flightradar24 records, the aircraft conducted several loops over that area for more than half an hour, moved toward Puerto Cumarebo —in Falcón state— and later approached the Caracas area.
The US Air Force describes the B-52H as a long-range heavy bomber capable of operating at 50,000 feet, carrying nuclear or precision-guided conventional weapons, and conducting global strategic missions. Its presence in the vicinity of Venezuela constitutes an explicit display of military capability at a moment of growing political confrontation.
Washington Declares Maduro’s Network “Terrorist”
The flight took place alongside the US decision to classify the so-called Cartel of the Suns as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
According to Washington, this structure —which it claims is directed by Nicolas Maduro— is linked to drug trafficking and violent actions in the hemisphere. The measure went into effect Monday, November 24, and expands the legal and operational scope for the US to act against those who belong to that organization.
Although the designation carries enormous political weight, no public evidence has yet been presented detailing Maduro’s direct involvement in running the alleged narco-terrorist group.
Caracas Rejects the Accusation and Warns of Intent to “Intervene”
The Venezuelan government responded with a statement calling the US decision an “infamous lie” aimed at justifying foreign intervention. It asserted that the Cartel of the Suns is a Washington “invention” and denounced an attempt to escalate confrontation through military actions and sanctions that deepen the country’s isolation.
Movements in the Caribbean: US General Heads to the Region
The scenario is further aggravated by the deployment of US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine to Puerto Rico to oversee the largest US military operation in the Caribbean in more than six decades.
The combined presence of a strategic bomber and a high-ranking military officer en route to the region reinforces the perception that Washington is hardening its stance toward Caracas and activating a multidimensional pressure framework.
Airlines Suspend Flights to Venezuela
Adding to this context is the country’s growing air isolation. Several international airlines —including Iberia, Avianca, TAP Air Portugal, Gol, LATAM, Air Europa, Plus Ultra, and Turkish Airlines— have temporarily suspended their flights to Venezuela following a security alert issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
In Spain, Madrid-Barajas Airport also canceled all operations bound for Caracas. These measures, motivated by navigation risks and military activity in the region, further complicate the country’s connectivity amid the political and military escalation.