US Secretary Rubio calls Maduro a narco-terrorist

The United States has escalated its stance against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, labeling him the leader of a narco-terrorist organisation and reiterating that his government is illegitimate. 

“Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government. Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organization which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States,” US Secretary Marco Rubio wrote in a post on X, Caliber.Az reports.

Rubio’s remarks come just days after the United States designated a group, which it claims is tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for supporting criminal organisations including the Tren de Aragua gang and Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel — both of which Washington has labeled as foreign terrorist organisations.

The group in question, known as the Cartel de Los Soles, is said by US authorities to include high-ranking Venezuelan officials and military leaders. Maduro himself was indicted by the United States in 2020 on drug trafficking charges. Washington has also offered a reward for information leading to his capture.

The US government has repeatedly rejected the legitimacy of Maduro’s rule, claiming that the July 2024 presidential election was neither free nor fair.

Maduro has served as president since 2013, following the death of Hugo Chávez. 

By Sabina Mammadli