Diosdado Cabello, a prominent Venezuelan official, issued a stark warning on September 11th, 2025, stating that any actions taken against Venezuela "will cost a lot of blood and sacrifice" ahead of the activation of the "Independent Plan." Cabello's statement, shared on X (formerly Twitter) in the last hour before 1:01 PM UTC, emphasized Venezuela's fight to "preserve our independence and our sovereignty." This declaration follows the European Parliament's decision earlier on September 11th, 2025, to add the "Los Soles poster" and a Colombian narco figure to the EU's list of terrorist organizations. The European Parliament's resolution aims to disrupt the financial networks of these entities and protect democratic institutions. Earlier on September 11th, 2025, a U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker was observed flying over the Caribbean Sea northwest of MaiquetÃa, Venezuela. This aerial activity occurred on the same day as the European Parliament's designation, which included entities associated with Venezuelan political figures. Separately, Venezuelan military chief Vladimir Padrino reportedly described the FANB as "demolished, sustained by a thread, demoralized delivered to drug trafficking and other crimes," indicating a need for reconstruction.
