Maduro sings John Lennon's 'Imagine' at rally as US warships patrol Venezuelan waters

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro broke into song during a rally Saturday, singing John Lennon's "Imagine" and calling for peace as the Trump administration bolsters a military presence off Venezuela's coast in what it says is an effort to curb drug trafficking.

According to The Associated Press, Maduro invoked Lennon as he spoke about peace, calling the former member of The Beatles a poet and musician who left a "gift to humanity." He urged young people to read the lyrics, describing the song as an anthem for every generation.

In the video, Maduro paused mid-speech to recall Lennon's song, singing a few words before reflecting on its meaning.

"What a beautiful song. The lyrics-young people, look up the lyrics," he said, according to a translation. "It's an inspiration for all time. It's an anthem for all eras and generations that John Lennon left as a gift to humanity. Long live the eternal memory of that great poet and musician, John Lennon."

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Maduro's appeal for peace came as tensions with Washington escalate, with U.S. warships patrolling Caribbean waters near Venezuela.

The Trump administration says the operation is part of a broader effort to fight drug trafficking, while Maduro has denounced it as aggression meant to weaken his government.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the nation's most advanced aircraft carrier, entered the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, the AP reported.

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The Pentagon said last month the carrier's arrival, with more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft, would "bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities." It added that the mission aims to "degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations."

Venezuela has also deployed troops and begun amassing weapons and equipment in response to the Trump administration's deployment of U.S. warships in the Caribbean.

The buildup, which the government calls "prolonged resistance," involves small units at more than 280 sites carrying out sabotage and guerrilla tactics, according to sources and several-year-old planning documents reviewed by Reuters.

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Maduro has accused the Trump administration of trying to oust him and pledged that Venezuelans will defend their country from what he calls U.S. aggression.

Meanwhile, the administration has ordered strikes targeting suspected drug-running vessels in the Caribbean to stem the flow of narcotics into the United States.

President Donald Trump has even floated the possibility of ground operations in Venezuela, saying "the land is going to be next."

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.