US 'cannot defeat Venezuela,' President Maduro says

By Sinan Dogan and Serdar Dincel

BOGOTA, Colombia/ISTANBUL (AA) - The Venezuelan president said on Tuesday that the US "cannot defeat Venezuela," adding his country is "invincible."

About a possible US intervention in Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, speaking at a TV program, expressed gratitude "to everyone who has courageously supported" his country.

"Despite the psychological and political warfare we have been subjected to for months, we are receiving an indescribable amount of support messages," Maduro said.

Earlier, the US added the Cartel de los Soles criminal organization — which it claims is run by Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials — to its Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. The move came amid a significant US military buildup in the region, including the deployment of a major aircraft carrier group and F-35 fighter jets.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have been on the rise since Trump this August ordered a military deployment in the Caribbean with the stated aim of attacking drug cartels and stopping drug trafficking routes, which he claims are linked to Maduro.

Venezuela described Washington's move as an attempt to create a pretext for intervening in the country. Caracas maintains that what is being sought is a change of regime.