The United States has officially designated the ‘Cartel of the Suns’ as a foreign terrorist organization, placing it in the same category as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. This designation was announced on Thursday by the US Treasury, which has long accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading the criminal syndicate. The decision comes after nearly two months of US airstrikes on small boats off Venezuela’s coast, which the Pentagon has claimed are targeting narcoterrorism. These actions have resulted in the deaths of approximately 80 individuals.
The term ‘Cartel of the Suns’ originated in the 1990s as a media reference to alleged corruption within the Venezuelan military, with officers reportedly wearing Sun-shaped insignias. In 2020, the US indicted Maduro and 14 other officials, alleging that they collectively ran the cartel. However, many analysts and regional leaders have cast doubt on the existence of this centralized criminal enterprise. Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello, one of the officials charged by the US, has criticized the labeling, calling it a tactic used by Washington to target its adversaries. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has dismissed the Cartel of the Suns as a ‘fictional excuse of the far right’ to undermine governments that do not align with US interests.
Despite the skepticism, the recent US military actions and the buildup of assets in the region have fueled speculation about Washington’s potential for a renewed effort to remove Maduro from power. The designation of the cartel as a terrorist group adds to the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the US and Venezuela, with implications for regional stability and international relations.