Caracas: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on a radio show that China has openly supported Venezuela's right to defend its sovereignty and peace. President Maduro used a radio show in Caracas yesterday to reiterate his country's sovereignty and cited China's support amid regional tensions. He initially spoke lightly with the host but then became more serious when talking about defending his country, saying that if it meant taking up arms, Venezuela would fight for peace, sovereignty and the motherland, and that he wanted the nation to move forward as it is today. The Venezuelan leader also cited China's diplomatic support for Venezuela, saying the Chinese government openly supports Venezuela's exercise of its right to defend sovereignty and peace.
According to Thai News Agency, the US government has accused Maduro of promoting drug trafficking, a claim he has consistently denied. Earlier in the day, the US military shot down a ship while it was sailing in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing all four people on board. The task force, acting on orders from Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth, said it was acting on intelligence confirming the ship was transporting drugs along drug trafficking routes in that water. The US released a 21-second video of the attack, which shows the ship being shot and burst into flames. Since September 1, the US has launched 23 foreign ships in 22 attacks in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, killing at least 87 people, in what it claims is a crackdown on drug trafficking.