Overview
- Nicolás Maduro swore in a 12-member leadership body of senior PSUV and government figures to guide the movement and reinforce his authority.
- Analysts described the new bureau as a civilian lineup that underscores political cohesion without formally blending in the military command.
- The United States has maintained a military deployment in the Caribbean since late August, and U.S. aviation warnings led to suspended flights over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean as Washington urged Americans to leave the country.
- Local reporting said the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford operated near Venezuelan waters and that two B-52H bombers conducted a simulated mission joined by Marine F-35C fighters close to the coast.
- Venezuelan officials said Russian-made Buk-M2E and S-300 air defenses were on alert and reiterated orders for a prolonged active resistance, as both Maduro and President Trump confirmed a recent phone call.