The Venezuelan government on Monday firmly rejected U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement designating the so-called “Cartel de los Soles” as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, denouncing the claim as a fabrication aimed at justifying further aggression against the South American nation.

In an official statement posted by Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, Caracas condemned Washington’s move as a “vile lie” and stressed that the so-called cartel does not exist. Venezuelan authorities warned that the U.S. government is attempting to use this false narrative as a pretext for “illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela.” The statement called on Washington to rectify its policy of threats and hostility, noting that the Venezuelan people “will know how to safeguard peace and the highest interests of the nation.”

Rubio’s declaration, made on Nov. 16, stated that the U.S. State Department intends to apply the terrorist designation effective Nov. 24—an action Caracas views as yet another step in Washington’s long-standing campaign of pressure and destabilization.

In a strong show of regional unity, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America–Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) also issued a statement Monday “categorically” rejecting the U.S. decision. The alliance emphasized that the alleged “Cartel de los Soles” is a fictitious construction used to attack Venezuela and pave the way for foreign interference.

The bloc stated that Washington’s actions are designed to justify aggression and force political change in a sovereign country—an approach overwhelmingly rejected by the international community. ALBA-TCP urged the United States to put an end to its interventionist policies toward Latin America, warning that such actions generate instability, misinformation, and unnecessary risks to peaceful regional coexistence.

ALBA-TCP, an alliance focused on social, political, and economic integration across Latin America and the Caribbean, reaffirmed its unwavering solidarity with Venezuela and condemned attempts to undermine the country's sovereignty.

As tensions rise, Venezuelan authorities remain steadfast that no foreign power will dictate the nation’s future, insisting that truth and regional support will ultimately prevail over what they describe as Washington’s “falsehoods and fabrications.” (ILKHA)