Addressing a crowd waving Venezuelan flags outside the Miraflores Palace on Monday, Maduro said the country sought peace, but only a peace “with sovereignty, equality and freedom.”

According to Press TV, he condemned “Washington’s imperial aggression,” stating that “We do not want a slave’s peace, or the peace of colonies! Colony, never! Slaves, never!”

The US government has escalated pressure on Venezuela through a military buildup in the Caribbean, describing it as an anti–drug trafficking mission without evidence.

Caracas says the measures taken by US President Donald Trump and his administration are designed to topple Maduro’s government and seize control of Venezuela’s extensive natural resources, including its oil wealth.

Analysts say the scale of US military activity far exceeds anything required for an anti-drug operation, as Washington has deployed 15,000 troops, aircraft carriers, submarines, destroyers, and F-35 squadrons in the region.

The US has also carried out at least 21 strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing at least 83 people.

Maduro also denounced Washington’s campaign of “psychological terrorism,” noting, “We have endured 22 weeks of aggression … These 22 weeks have put us to the test, and the people of Venezuela have demonstrated their love for the homeland.”

Monday’s rally coincided with reports that Trump met with his national security team at the White House to discuss the “next steps” on Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the US Ministry of War on Monday defended the actions of Admiral Frank Mitchell Bradley, commander of the United States Special Operations Command, who on September 2 ordered a strike on survivors of a previous US attack on a boat Washington claimed was involved in drug-trafficking.

The initial strike destroyed the vessel and killed nine people. Two survivors clung to debris, but acting on Secretary of War Peter Brian Hegseth’s order “to kill everyone,” Bradley directed a second strike, killing them as well.

Experts have described the second attack, known in military terms as a “double tap” strike, as illegal and a crime against humanity.

DID