Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stated that Colombian drug trafficking and Albanian mafia groups with political influence in Ecuador are financing campaigns against the Venezuelan government. He made these statements during a ceremony to promote and award officers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), held in La Guaira state.
Maduro asserted that, despite the defamation against the country, Venezuela will emerge victorious and expose those responsible: «In this battle against lies, we will show where the real criminals and drug traffickers are. We will confront and defeat them,» he declared.
He also reiterated his willingness to collaborate with the Colombian government, led by Gustavo Petro, in the fight against organized crime. However, he criticized Colombian drug trafficking and former President Álvaro Uribe, accusing them of supporting destabilizing actions: «Guaidó promised to hand over Venezuela to them, but they won’t succeed. The opposition is financed by these illegal groups,» he added.
During the event, which also addressed the expansion of the Peace Quadrants to strengthen local security, Maduro emphasized that Venezuela promotes a drug-free society. He cited a UN report that supports the country’s achievements in eradicating illicit crops over the past 15 years, thanks to the work of its security forces.
Finally, he denounced an alleged strategy, orchestrated from Colombia with US support, to destabilize Venezuela following the Haitian model by financing armed groups linked to drug trafficking.