Venezuela’s Maduro urges Trump to avoid Afghanistan-style ‘forever war’

Authoritarian leader calls for US to make peace amid military buildup and strikes against alleged drug smugglers

• Explainer: is US preparing to attack Venezuela?

Venezuela's authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro, has urged Donald Trump not to lead the US into an Afghanistan-style forever war", as the American military buildup in the region intensified and Trump's defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, vowed to purge the Americas of narco-terrorists".

Speaking to CNN outside the Miraflores presidential palace in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, Maduro called on Trump to make peace, not war, after the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, arrived in the region.