Overview

• Nicolás Maduro said he is evaluating a nationwide estado de conmoción exterior in response to recent U.S. naval and air operations in the southern Caribbean.
• The U.S. government says its forces have sunk four boats it links to narcotrafficking this month, including a third strike announced on September 19, a justification Venezuela disputes.
• Article 338 would allow extraordinary executive measures such as troop mobilization, curbs on certain civil liberties and media controls, with non‑derogable rights remaining protected.
• If decreed, the measure would take immediate effect for 90 days, require submission to the National Assembly within eight days, and be reviewed by the Supreme Tribunal’s Constitutional Chamber, with a possible 90‑day extension.
• Washington characterizes the operations as targeting groups including Tren de Aragua, while Venezuela’s defense chief calls the actions an undeclared war; the U.S. has deployed at least eight warships, a nuclear‑powered attack submarine, more than 4,500 troops, and F‑35B jets to the region.