The Brazilian President stated that he was “very concerned” about the US military presence in the Caribbean Seanear Venezuela, and added that he intends to discuss the matter with his North American counterpart, Donald Trump.
“I am very concerned about the United States military deployment in the Caribbean Sea. This worries me greatly and I intend to discuss the matter with President Trump“, declared Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to journalists in Johannesburg, after the G20 summit.
The United States sent the largest aircraft carrier in the world for the Caribbeanaccompanied by a fleet of warships and fighter jets, to carry out anti-drug operations, which Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounces as a “threat” to overthrow him from power.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said on Saturday that his country is responding head on”despite the “a lot of power” that, he acknowledged, the United States has.
In a statement on the Venezuelan state broadcaster (VTV), Padrino said theThe United States is “one of the most genocidal empires in history”warning that Washington has “a lot of power” in “all aspects: technological, economic, financial, military, always to cause damage and defend its interests”.
However, he added, Venezuela is defending itself despite “all the ongoing psychological operations” and the US air and naval deployment in the Caribbean to “destroy” the country.
In recent months, the United States has reinforced its military presence in the Caribbean and the Pacific with ships, fighters and special forcesin a context of growing tension with Venezuela.
President Donald Trump’s Administration frames this deployment as part of its “Spear of the South” initiative to combat drug trafficking.
In recent weeks, the United States has carried out around 20 air strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific against vessels that they accuse — without providing evidence — of transporting drugs, causing a total of 76 victims.