Maduro lashes out at Trump over CIA move amid war fear; ‘I have bad news for the imperialists…’

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro launched a furious tirade against the United States following President Trump’s confirmation that he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela. In a nationally televised address, joined by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro called the U.S. “an empire of imbeciles,” accusing Washington of plotting regime change and waging “criminal aggression” under the guise of counter-narcotics operations. Referring to Trump’s public disclosure of the CIA’s activities, Maduro said, “Never before in history has a president publicly said he was sending the CIA to kill, overthrow, and destroy countries.” He claimed the CIA has been operating in Venezuela for over six decades, conspiring first against Hugo Chávez and now against him.