The Socialist Program with Brian Becker U.S. Warships and Fighter Jets Threaten Venezuela as Millions Join in Military Drills To Defend the Country [Preview]
Sep 9, 2025
Manolo De Los Santos, Executive Director of The People’s Forum, talks about the rapidly escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. He highlights how millions of Venezuelans are rallying together in military drills to defend against perceived threats from U.S. warships. The conversation dissects the Trump Administration's rhetoric around narcotics trafficking, presenting it as a pretext for aggression aimed at controlling Venezuela's vast oil reserves. De Los Santos sheds light on how criticisms of the Maduro government are uniting citizens in the face of U.S. imperialism.
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Military Buildup Raises Alarm
- The U.S. has deployed warships and fighter aircraft near Venezuela while claiming counter-narcotics purposes, raising fears of an imminent warlike escalation.
- Venezuelan officials warned the move could be a Gulf of Tonkin-style provocation.
Drug War As Geopolitical Pretext
- Manolo De Los Santos argues the U.S. uses the 'war on drugs' myth to justify geopolitical control in Latin America.
- He links this pretext specifically to the desire to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
Strike Bypassed Legal Norms
- Brian Becker and Manolo de los Santos see the U.S. strike on a small boat as a probable violation of international law and an execution without due process.
- They stress the action bypassed intercept-and-search norms and echoes a pattern of illegal military conduct.