NEW YORK, November 14. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on the people of the United States to support Venezuela amid a US military operation off its coast and urged them to stand for peace on the American continent, according to his remarks to CNN during a rally in Caracas.

"I call on the US population to unite for peace in America. No more endless wars, no more unjust wars, no more Libya and Afghanistan," he told a correspondent in Spanish. CNN reported that Maduro also addressed US President Donald Trump, urging him to pursue peace. When asked whether he was concerned about possible US aggression, Maduro did not answer directly, saying instead that he was focused on the peaceful governance of his country.

The New York Times reported in August that Donald Trump had secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels. After that, Washington deployed additional forces to the Caribbean Sea and started conducting airstrikes on vessels the US government claimed were involved in drug trafficking.

According to CNN estimates, the US Armed Forces have destroyed about 20 vessels, killing almost 80 people in the past few months.

Maduro has repeatedly said that his country is facing the most serious threat of US invasion in 100 years. Washington blames the Venezuelan authorities for failing to do enough to combat drug trafficking. According to The New York Times, Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela.

US media outlets have repeatedly reported that Washington may soon launch strikes on drug cartels’ facilities in Venezuela. However, Trump said on October 31 that he was not considering strikes within Venezuela.