标签： South America

The United States has officially designated the ‘Cartel de los Soles’ (Cartel of the Suns) as a foreign terrorist organization, alleging that it is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior government officials. This designation grants U.S. law enforcement and military agencies expanded powers to target and dismantle the group. The move is part of escalating U.S. pressure on Maduro, whose government has been deemed illegitimate following last year’s widely disputed election. Venezuela’s foreign ministry has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them a ‘ridiculous lie,’ while Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello dismissed the cartel as an ‘invention.’ The term ‘Cartel de los Soles’ originated in the early 1990s, referring to Venezuelan military officials allegedly involved in drug trafficking, symbolized by the sun-shaped insignia on their uniforms. Experts suggest the cartel lacks a formal structure, instead representing a widespread system of corruption fueled by Venezuela’s economic crisis. The U.S. has accused Maduro and other high-ranking officials of conspiring with Colombian armed groups to traffic cocaine, offering substantial rewards for information leading to their capture. Venezuela has consistently rejected these claims, framing them as a pretext for U.S. intervention.

The Trump administration is intensifying its campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by designating the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. This move, set to be announced on Monday, marks a significant escalation in the U.S. government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking into the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently accused the Cartel de los Soles, also known as the Cartel of the Suns, of being responsible for terrorist violence in the Western Hemisphere.

The designation comes as President Trump weighs potential military action against Venezuela, a possibility he has not ruled out despite suggesting the potential for talks with Maduro. The U.S. has already deployed a substantial military presence in the Caribbean Sea, targeting boats suspected of drug trafficking and resulting in over 80 deaths.

The term Cartel de los Soles originated in the 1990s to describe high-ranking Venezuelan military officers involved in drug trafficking. Over time, its use expanded to include police and government officials engaged in illegal activities such as mining and fuel trafficking. The name refers to the sun-shaped epaulettes worn by senior military officers.

In 2020, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Maduro and his inner circle on narcoterrorism charges, elevating the term to describe a Maduro-led drug-trafficking organization. However, experts like Adam Isaacson of the Washington Office on Latin America argue that the Cartel de los Soles is not a formal group with a hierarchy or regular meetings.

The Trump administration’s decision to label the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization is unprecedented, as the designation has traditionally been reserved for groups like ISIS or al-Qaeda. Earlier this year, the administration applied the label to eight Latin American criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Critics, including Maduro, view the U.S. military buildup as an attempt to end the ruling party’s 26-year hold on power. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s U.S.-backed political opposition has renewed its efforts to remove Maduro from office.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the designation would provide new options for dealing with Maduro but did not specify what those options entail. Trump administration officials have indicated that Maduro’s continued rule is unsustainable, and Trump has reportedly been pleased with the impact of recent military strikes.

Maduro has denied the allegations, claiming the U.S. is fabricating a drug-trafficking narrative to force him out of power. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Cartel de los Soles in July, accusing Maduro and his allies of using government resources to facilitate drug trafficking. The U.S. Justice Department has also doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, convicted of orchestrating a coup attempt, has attributed his recent actions to medication-induced ‘paranoia,’ claiming it led him to damage his ankle monitor. Bolsonaro, 70, admitted during a hearing in Brasília that he attempted to open the monitor with a soldering iron before regaining his composure. He insisted he had no intention of fleeing. Authorities deemed him a flight risk, especially with a planned vigil by supporters outside his residence, prompting his transfer from house arrest to detention. Bolsonaro is currently held at a police station in the capital. In September, he was sentenced to over 27 years in prison for his role in a failed coup plot aimed at retaining power after losing the 2022 election to left-wing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Supreme Court revealed that Bolsonaro was aware of a conspiracy involving plans to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, Geraldo Alckmin, and to execute Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees his trial. The plot failed to gain military support, and Lula was inaugurated without incident on January 1, 2023. However, a week later, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília, leading to 1,500 arrests. The justices concluded that Bolsonaro incited the rioters, hoping the military would intervene to restore him to power. Bolsonaro has been barred from public office until 2060, eight years after his sentence ends. He dismissed the trial as a ‘witch hunt’ to prevent his potential 2026 presidential run. His legal troubles have also drawn criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports in response.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is set to meet with a judge on Sunday to deliberate the legality of his preemptive imprisonment at federal police headquarters in Brasilia. This meeting follows Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes’ order for Bolsonaro’s detention on Saturday, citing him as a flight risk after his ankle monitor was reportedly violated early that morning. Bolsonaro’s incarceration comes just before he is due to begin a 27-year prison sentence, following a September ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court that he attempted to orchestrate a coup to retain the presidency after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The same judicial panel will review the preemptive arrest order on Monday. Despite procedural nature of Sunday’s meeting, Bolsonaro’s legal team plans to argue for house arrest based on his health concerns, a request previously denied by Justice de Moraes. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro has been permitted visits from his wife, former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who was absent during his arrest. President Lula commented on the situation at the G20 meeting in South Africa, affirming the court’s decision and Bolsonaro’s actions. Outside the police headquarters, reactions were mixed, with supporters demanding the removal of Lula and de Moraes, and opponents celebrating Bolsonaro’s detention.