Nuclear-powered submarine USS Newport News. X/ @Michael91387113.
The presence of a nuclear-powered submarine is a violation of Latin America’s denuclearized status.
On Tuesday, through its permanent mission at the United Nations, Venezuela has formally denounced an escalation of hostile actions by the United States, following the deployment of the USS Lake Erie, a guided missile cruiser, and the USS Newport News, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, to the Caribbean.
In a letter addressed to U.N. member states and observers, the Bolivarian nation condemned the move as a serious threat to regional peace and security since it violates the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which established Latin America and the Caribbean as a nuclear-weapon-free zone.
The letter from Venezuelan diplomacy is presented in its entirety below:
“The Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations presents its compliments to the honorable Permanent Missions of Member States and Observer Permanent Missions to the United Nations in the opportunity of following up its Note Verbale No. 00506, dated 25 August 2025, in connection with a series of hostile actions and the continued threats by the Government of the United States of America against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
In this regard, the Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations is obliged to inform hereby of the escalation of the hostile actions and threats of the U.S. Government, which now includes the deployment of additional warships to the Caribbean, including the USS Lake Erie, a guided missile cruiser, and the USS Newport News, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, which are scheduled to arrive off the coasts of Venezuela by early next week, as reported by multiple sources.
The Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations strongly condemns this deployment, as it constitutes a serious threat to regional peace and security.
The presence in the Latin American and Caribbean region of an offensive nuclear submarine contradicts the historic commitment of our nations and peoples to both disarmament and the peaceful settlement of disputes, and represents a clear act of intimidation, contrary to the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, which in Article 2, paragraph 4, obliges all States to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.
Moreover, the Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations recalls that Latin America and the Caribbean has been declared a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, through the Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967), whose Protocol II was ratified by the United States of America in 1971, committing itself to fully respect the denuclearized character of the region and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against the States Parties of said Treaty.
The entry of a nuclear submarine into the region, without transparency regarding its cargo or rules of engagement, violates the object and purpose of that legally-binding instrument and erodes collective confidence in the validity of the regional denuclearization regime.
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In addition, the Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations further recalls the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, adopted by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in 2014, which has been recognized by the United Nations, and whereby the regional commitment to avoid the threat or use of force is reaffirmed. Hence, the introduction of a nuclear submarine flagrantly contradicts these principles.
The Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations reiterates the unwavering commitment of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, insofar as a responsible member of the international community and in strict line with its obligations as a State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear-Weapons (TPNW) and the Treaty of Tlatelolco, to a world free of nuclear weapons and to the strengthening of the international disarmament and non-proliferation regimes.
In light of all the foregoing, the Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations makes the following calls, in the interest of preserving regional peace, security and stability:
1. Demands the immediate cessation of military deployment, including the USS Newport News nuclear submarine, in the Caribbean.
2. Demands clear and verifiable guarantees from the United States of America that it will not deploy or threaten to use nuclear weapons in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
3. Urges the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear-Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) to convene urgent consultations with a view to examine these latest hostile actions and threats.
4. Calls on all Member States of the United Nations to support respect for the denuclearized character of Latin America and the Caribbean and to defend the CELAC Proclamation of the region as a “Zone of Peace”.
The Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the honorable Permanent Missions of Member States and Observer Permanent Missions to the United Nations the assurances of its highest esteem and consideration.”
(telesur)
