CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Nicolás Maduro has vowed to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty as tensions rise over the deployment of U.S. warships in the Caribbean. He urged President Donald Trump to engage in dialogue to avoid conflict.
The remarks late Friday came three days after the Trump administration said U.S. forces carried out a strike in the Caribbean, sinking a boat it claimed was from the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua smuggling drugs to the U.S. The strike killed 11 people, and the American account has been questioned by Caracas.
“Venezuela is always ready for dialogue, but we demand respect,” Maduro said in a speech at a military base in Caracas. “None of our differences justify a high-impact military conflict in South America.”
The strike has ruffled feathers across Latin America, a region that has suffered the long-term effects of previous American incursions.
Dressed in camouflage, Maduro oversaw a ceremony in which he ordered the mobilization of civilian militias, said there would be an “armed struggle” in the case of any attack.
Washington has deployed more than 4,000 troops and naval assets to the region, saying the move targets Latin American drug cartels. U.S. officials have not suggested a ground incursion into Venezuela, but Maduro denounced the buildup as a threat of invasion.
He accused the U.S. of fabricating drug-trafficking allegations to justify regime change, pointing to Washington’s decision last month to double its reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.
The vague threat of American intervention has long been a card Maduro has played to rally support in the South American nation amid waning political support.
Members of the Bolivarian Militia listen to a recorded speech by President Nicolás Maduro at a military garrison in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Cristrian Hernandez)
MADRID (AP) — Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias on Friday denied allegations that he sexually assaulted two former employees, calling the accusations “absolutely untrue."
Media reports from earlier this week alleged Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas between January and October 2021. A day later, Spanish prosecutors said they were studying the allegations.
“With deep sorrow, I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked at my home. I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected any woman. These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness," Iglesias said on Instagram.
Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the joint, three-year investigation on Jan. 13 into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.
A Spanish high court received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on Jan. 5, according to officials there. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, according to the court’s press office.
The 82-year-old Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful musical artists, having sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages. After making his start in Spain, he won immense popularity in the United States and wider world in the 1970s and ’80s. He’s the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias.
In 1988, he won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance for his album “Un Hombre Solo.” He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019.
“I had never experienced such malice, but I still have the strength for people to know the full truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious affront,” Iglesias said on social media.
He also thanked those who had sent messages of support.
FILE - Spanish singer Julio Iglesias smiles during his star unveiling ceremony at the Walk of Fame in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, file)
