VENEZUELA-US-DIPLOMACY-CONFLICT

A man rides past a poster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and an anti-tank barricade in Caracas, on October 28, 2025. US forces killed 14 people in strikes that destroyed four alleged drug-smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday, bringing the death toll from Washington's anti-narcotics campaign to at least 57. Regional tensions have flared as a result of the strikes and the military buildup, with Venezuela saying the United States is plotting to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Washington of "fabricating a war." (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP) (Photo by JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)