The NYT learned about the accusation of the Venezuelan opposition leader of exaggerating the threat from Maduro

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has been criticized for exaggerating threats from President Nicolas Maduro to justify U.S. pressure on Caracas. This was reported on November 26 by The New York Times (NYT).

"I have no doubt that Nicolas Maduro <... He is the mastermind of a system that has rigged elections in many countries, including the United States," Machado is quoted in the article.

According to the newspaper, Machado is spreading false or unconfirmed claims that Maduro heads two drug gangs — Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles — and poses a threat to US national security.

At the same time, experts and part of the Venezuelan opposition believe that the president does not control these groups and that their cross-border activities are greatly exaggerated. Analysts also warn that such statements may create an excuse for Washington's intervention based on questionable data.

"This may fit into the existing agenda in Washington and attract additional attention from citizens who are not experts on Venezuela," said David Smilde, an expert on Venezuela from Tulane University.

How the United States and Venezuela went from friends to enemies. Analysis

On November 16, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Maduro of leading the Los Soles drug cartel and stated that the State Department intends to recognize the group as a foreign terrorist organization. He noted that the cartel had bribed Venezuelan state institutions and was responsible for "terrorist violence." However, on November 24, Venezuela rejected the US plan to recognize the Los Soles cartel as a terrorist organization.

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