Venezuelan Defence Ministry says it rejects any US-subservient government

CARACAS — Venezuela's armed forces will not accept any government subservient to the United States, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said during a visit to a military hospital in the capital Caracas.

"The Bolivarian National Armed Forces will not allow a government that is kneeling, enslaved, or submissive to US interests," Padrino Lopez said on Friday (local time), according to state broadcaster Venezolana de Television.

He urged Venezuelans to remember that some opposition leaders have previously called for foreign intervention and sanctions against the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

While acknowledging that the opposition plays an important role in a democracy, Padrino Lopez warned of what he described as threats from US military actions, particularly in the Caribbean.

He denounced recent US manoeuvres near Venezuelan waters, saying they have intimidated local fishermen, and called the situation "the greatest threat in a century."

Despite escalating tensions, Lopez reiterated Venezuela's desire to avoid conflict. "We want peace," he said.

Earlier in the day, Venezuela also slammed US sanctions imposed on Colombian President Gustavo Petro and others close to him, calling the measures illegal and "neocolonial."

In a statement, Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said the unilateral coercive actions by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control violated international law and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

"These coercive measures constitute acts of political aggression and pressure that are prohibited by the multilateral system," the statement said, noting they have been condemned by the UN General Assembly, the Human Rights Council and various special rapporteurs.

The Venezuelan government accused Washington of attempting to criminalise Petro and destabilise Colombia as part of a broader strategy to undermine the sovereignty of independent Latin American and Caribbean nations.

Caracas demanded an immediate end to the coercive measures and called on Latin American and Caribbean governments and peoples to unite in defence of regional sovereignty and independence.