Cuba accuses the US of trying to forcibly overthrow the Venezuelan government, Pentagon chief visits the Dominican Republic

(Patria) - Cuba on Tuesday accused the United States of seeking the violent overthrow of the Venezuelan government, calling the increased presence of US military forces in the region an "excessive and aggressive" threat, Reuters reported.

The overthrow of the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States would be extremely dangerous and irresponsible, and would constitute a violation of international law and the United Nations charter, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in a statement.

Reuters reported on Saturday that the United States was ready to launch a new phase of operations related to Venezuela in the coming days, citing four US officials. Two US officials told Reuters that the options being considered include an attempt to overthrow Maduro. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he is not seeking regime change. Maduro, in power since 2013, has claimed that Trump wants to overthrow him and that the citizens of Venezuela and the military will resist any such attempt.

"We call on the people of the United States to stop this madness," Rodriguez said.

"The US government could cause an incalculable number of deaths and create a scenario of violence and instability in the hemisphere that would be unimaginable."

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will visit the Dominican Republic, a close US ally in the Caribbean, today to discuss the fight against drug trafficking amid a stalemate between Washington and Venezuela, officials said, AFP reported.

The Pentagon confirmed the visit, which comes as President Donald Trump increases pressure on his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington accuses of running a drug cartel.

Hegseth's office said on Tuesday that he would meet with Dominican President Luis Abinader, his Minister of Defense, and other cabinet members "to strengthen defense relations and reaffirm the US commitment to defending the homeland, protecting our regional partners, and ensuring stability and security throughout the Americas."

The announcement followed a day after the United States designated the alleged Venezuelan drug cartel, Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), as a foreign terrorist organization. This gives the Trump administration legal cover for further actions against Venezuelan authorities.

The Venezuelan government organized an anti-American march through the capital, Caracas, on Tuesday to protest Washington's move. Maduro addressed the rally, holding the "Sword of Peru" of Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar, telling the crowd that the country was facing a "decisive turning point" that required national unity.

"There is no excuse for anyone, whether civilian, politician, soldier or police officer. Failure is not an option! The nation demands our greatest effort and sacrifice," he told supporters.

Meanwhile, Washington has increased military pressure on Caracas, deploying the world's largest aircraft carrier to the area, along with a host of warships. Caracas accuses Washington of using its war on drugs as a cover for an operation aimed at overthrowing the Maduro government.

US raids on a number of alleged drug smuggling ships in the Caribbean and Pacific have resulted in dozens of deaths since September. The Dominican Republic is cooperating with US operations.

Authorities in the country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, announced earlier this month that they had seized about 500 kilograms of cocaine from a ship intercepted during a joint operation with US forces.

"We continue to cooperate with the United States because this is a difficult fight, especially in some countries, mainly in South America, which have seen an increase in drug production, especially cocaine," Abinader said on Tuesday.