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World War III already in progress — Venezuelan leader

"The US empire has a war plan to impose its political, economic, cultural, and military hegemony on the whole world," Nicolas Maduro said

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. World War III is already underway, as the "US empire" is taking active steps to impose its hegemony on the rest of the globe, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in an interview with RT.

"Pope Francis said two years ago that we are moving towards World War III. In my view, it’s already begun," Maduro stated. "The US empire has a war plan to impose its political, economic, cultural, and military hegemony on the whole world."

In August 2022, Pope Francis, who passed away in April 2025, said that the world was already in the midst of a world war, albeit a phased one, he claimed. He reiterated this view in May 2024.

According to Reuters, on August 19, three US Navy destroyers - the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson - were dispatched to the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela to conduct "operations against drug cartels." There were also reports of the deployment of the nuclear submarine USS Newport News, the missile cruiser USS Lake Erie, amphibious ships, and 4,500 military personnel.

The New York Times reported that Trump had signed a secret directive to use military force against Latin American drug cartels. According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Tuesday, a "lethal strike" was carried out against a ship that had left Venezuela and was controlled by a "narco-terrorist organization." According to preliminary figures, 11 people were killed in the attack on the ship.

Washington continues to accuse Maduro of belonging to the Cartel de los Soles drug cartel, an allegation that Caracas denies.

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