Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has proposed “liberating” Puerto Rico from the United States. In a speech at the International Antifascist World Festival in Venezuela, Maduro asserted: “Just like in the north they have an agenda of colonization, we have an agenda of liberation. And our agenda was written by Simon Bolivar. The freedom of Puerto Rico is pending and we will achieve it…with Brazilian troops. And Abreu de Lima will lead The Abreu de Lima Battalion to liberate Puerto Rico.”
Abreu de Lima was a Brazilian ally of Simón Bolívar, a hero of South American independence movements under Spanish colonization. Maduro also claimed that Cuba and Nicaragua would join the effort.
Who is Maduro?
Nicolás Maduro was recently inaugurated for his third consecutive term as President of Venezuela. His socialist party claims that he won 51% of the vote, though no evidence has been provided. The Biden administration is offering a $25 million reward for his capture and arrest for narco-terrorism. The European Union and the United Kingdom, along with the United States, have imposed sanctions on the government of Venezuela, all three having recognized Edmundo González as the real president-elect. Maduro’s political rival fled to Spain.
Some eight million Venezuelans have also left their increasingly authoritarian country. Some Brazilian organizations have called for acceptance of Maduro’s claims to have won the presidency. Leaders from Cuba and Nicaragua attended the Antifascist World Festival, but no other representatives of Latin American nations did so. Venezuela is becoming isolated from the other nations in the Western hemisphere and of the world.
Why Puerto Rico?
José Enrique Meléndez-Ortiz, a member of Puerto Rico’s legislature, said that “[i]t is no coincidence that Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, which have facilitated Russia’s and China’s expanding presence in Latin America, have been promoting Puerto Rico’s separation from the United States.” This promotion has been a regular feature in the meetings of the United Nations’ Decolonization Committee. Indeed, these three nations have supported independence for Puerto Rico for decades. “One can only expect that an independent Puerto Rico would join the chorus of Latin American countries that are friendly to our adversaries,” according to Meléndez-Ortiz.
The fly in the ointment for the Latin American socialist governments hoping to add Puerto Rico to their list is the fact that Puerto Rico does not want independence. As Constitutional scholar Christina Ponsa-Kraus told Newsweek: “The Puerto Rican people have never—not once—voted for independence. For more than a century, they have been united in their desire to remain part of the United States one way or another…And this past November, statehood received 57 percent of the vote. While support for independence did rise, reaching a little over 30 percent, that still leaves a supermajority opposed to independence. In other words, President Maduro is just another in an endless line of politicians who are happy to ignore the will of the Puerto Rican electorate and instead to exploit the issue of Puerto Rico’s status for their own political gain.”
By promoting an “agenda of liberation,” Venezuela’s leader is suggesting an alternative to the strengthened bond between the U.S. and Puerto Rico that Puerto Ricans seek and that thought leaders have indicated is important to U.S. national security. He has, instead, explicitly called for an invasion of Puerto Rico with Brazil, along with closer ties to South and Central American nations unfriendly to the U.S.
The announcement is consistent with the nation’s initiatives at the United Nations, but Venezuela’s President has just taken the debate up a notch. It’s unclear how hard and how long he will continue to push for it.
Governor González-Colón Responds
In a post on X, Puerto Rico weighed in on the debate by sharing a letter she sent to incoming President Donald Trump. Noting that “Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro called for an invasion of Puerto Rico, an open threat to the United States and our national security,” the Puerto Rico Governor explained in her letter:
Yesterday, just a few days after holding an illegitimate swearing-in ceremony in a desperate attempt to cling on to power in Venezuela, socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro publicly proposed an invasion of Puerto Rico. This is an open threat to the United States, our national security, and stability in the region. I trust you incoming administration will swiftly respond and make clear to the Maduro regime that, under your leadership, the United States will protect American lives and sovereignty and will not bow down to the threats of petty, murderous dictators.
Since 1898, Puerto Rico has been an essential part of the United States. We have been proud American citizens since 1917 and have contributed to every aspect of American life, including the hundred of thousands of service members from the Island who have fought alongside our fellow citizens in every U.S. military conflict wince World War I. Contrary to Maduro’s and other adversaries’ calls for independence, the people of Puerto Rico have repeatedly rejected this option. Instead, we have voted to strengthen our union with the United States through statehood – most recently in the November 5, 2024 plebiscite held alongside our general elections.
Puerto Rico also represents a key presence to advance U.S. national security interests in our region. The Island is home to Fort Buchanan- the only U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean- and National Guard facilities like Camp Santiago, Fort Allen, and Muñiz Air National Guard Base, all of which strategically support exercises and operations conducted by the U.S. military and our partners. Similarly, Puerto Rico hosts critical U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection assets and unites that help secure or borders and combat the drug trafficking networks that fund the Maduro narco-regime. In fact, the United States shares a maritime boundary with Venezuela in Puerto Rico. Maduro’s calls for an invasion are a clear attempt to get rid of the United States’ presence and grow his influence in the area.
As Governor of Puerto Rico, I am ready to work with you and your administration to counter this and other threats posed by the illegitimate Maduro dictatorship and support the people of Venezuela in their quest for freedom. I also look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions on how to best enhance Puerto Rico’s national security role and take a strong stance against the growing presence of our adversaries in the region.
Updated on January 14, 2025 to include Governor González-Colón’s letter.
