Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa said Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro is a cartel leader and his government will do "everything to end narco terrorism."
Speaking to Univision, Noboa was asked why he was one of the first heads of state in Latin America to follow the Trump administration and declare the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization.
"That is what I think they are. We've seen them work with narco terrorist organizations in Ecuador and the region. We have to call them what they are. They also deal weapons and traffic people, conduct illegal mining."
🇻🇪 “Maduro es el jefe del Cártel de los Soles. Los reportes de inteligencia lo dicen, él es el jefe” sostiene el Presidente de Ecuador Daniel Noboa (@DanielNoboaOk) en entrevista con @lcvelez.
— Rafael Santiago (@SantiagoRafa11) September 5, 2025
“Haremos todo para acabar con el narcoterrismo” agrega. pic.twitter.com/0cBC9XVzPJ
Specifically consulted about Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, Noboa said that "intelligence reports conclude that he is the head of the Cartel de los Soles." "We'll do everything to end narco terrorism," he added.
Other countries in the region have also declared the organization as a terrorist one, Argentina and Paraguay among them. Moreover, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, located 7 miles from Venezuela, has vocally supported the U.S.'s deployment of troops off the South American country's coast and even praised Tuesday's strike against a Vessel on Tuesday.
Concretely, Kamla Persad-Bissessar said in a statement that the "massacring of our people has been fed by evil cartel traffickers." "I feel no compassion for them, the U.S. Army should have them all violently eliminated."
"Illegal drug and arms trafficking has caused death and destruction in our society for the past 25 years," Persad-Bissessar added, noting that the "restriction of illegal arms, drugs and human trafficking will reduce violence" in the country and the region.
"God bless and protect the U.S. Army members taking part in the mission. Your efforts will save many lives in our country and the region," she added.
Persad-Bissessar had already said she approved the deployment of U.S. assets to the region, saying she would allow American forces to use its territory if president Nicolás Maduro were to attack neighboring Guyana, with which it currently has a heated territorial dispute.
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