Trump Eyes Potential US Military Base in Venezuela

President Donald Trump indicated Thursday he is open to establishing a U.S. military base in Venezuela or elsewhere in South America, a move that could give the Pentagon a permanent foothold on a continent where it largely relies on partnerships, exercises, and access agreements.

Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House before departing for a trip to Oklahoma and Texas. His comments aired live on Newsmax and the free Newsmax2 streaming platform.

"We're looking at doing a lot of things," Trump said before boarding Marine One.

Trump noted the dramatically improved relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela since former dictator Nicolas Maduro was removed from power, as well as the U.S.'s expanding economic role in the country.

"We're getting along very well, as you know. And Venezuela — it's been a great situation," Trump said.

"The people are happy, and I'm very happy. And we're taking a lot of oil, and we have a great relationship."

Trump did not provide details on what type of military presence he is considering, but his comments come after administration officials publicly acknowledged studying the possibility of establishing a military facility in South America.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sept. 8 during a visit to Colombia that the administration was studying whether a U.S. or joint military base there would be feasible.

"I'm not against it. It's possible, but that's something that hasn't been discussed much up to this point, although the possibility is being studied," Rubio told reporters following a meeting with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella in Barranquilla.

"If it's not a military base, it's a joint base, or a facility that both countries can use," Rubio said. "Obviously, that's up to the Colombian government, because it's a sovereign country that has the right to choose who enters its territory."

During an Oval Office meeting with travel executives on Sept. 2, a reporter noted that "there are basically no military bases in South America" and asked Trump whether he had plans to establish one. Trump did not directly answer but pointed to improving relations with Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, and other governments in the region.

"The whole thing is opening up," Trump said. "There's great cooperation between our country and all of South America."

A permanent U.S. military base on the South American continent would mark a significant change in the Pentagon's regional posture.

U.S. Southern Command, whose area of responsibility encompasses Central and South America and the Caribbean, has traditionally emphasized working with regional partners through military training, exercises, security assistance, and access arrangements.

A U.S. military base or comparable access arrangement in Venezuela could provide U.S. forces with a strategically located hub along the southern Caribbean for surveillance, counternarcotics operations, maritime security, logistics, and other regional missions.

It also could advance another stated SOUTHCOM priority: limiting the strategic influence of China, Russia, and Iran in the hemisphere.

SOUTHCOM's 2026 posture statement to Congress said the U.S. "would no longer cede access to or influence over key terrain" in the region and warned that Chinese investment in ports and other infrastructure could give Beijing strategic advantages.

As of late 2025, Chinese entities had a presence in or were seeking access to "at least 12 space sites in South America and the Caribbean, which could enable China to monitor satellites in the Western Hemisphere, collect on U.S. military assets, and intercept sensitive information," SOUTHCOM said.

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