Venezuela has initiated three days of military drills on its Caribbean island, La Orchila, amid escalating tensions fueled by the US conducting anti-drug operations in the region.
These operations, which involve the destruction of at least two Venezuelan boats and the alleged interception of 14 individuals suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean, have been criticized by UN experts as extrajudicial executions.
The heightened US military presence, including warships, has ignited concerns over a potential invasion. The Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, stands accused by Washington of leading a drug cartel.
The military exercises, under the command of Maduro, are named “Sovereign Caribbean,” according to Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López. The exercises include deployments of combat drones and electronic warfare actions, in response to what López termed as the “threatening, vulgar voice” of the US.
Images broadcasted on public television displayed amphibious and naval vessels deployed near La Orchila, where Venezuela has a military base. The exercises involve 12 ships, 22 aircraft, and 20 smaller craft from the “special naval militia.”
Located near an area where the US recently detained a Venezuelan fishing vessel for eight hours, La Orchila stands as a point of contention.
Maduro, whose last two elections have not been recognized by the US and various other nations, has pledged to defend Venezuela against what he labels as US “aggression.
The US has offered a $50m reward for Maduro’s arrest, who is facing drug trafficking charges.
Venezuela is advocating for an investigation into a US strike on a purported drug boat this month, which resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals. This was one of three Venezuelan vessels that US President Donald Trump claimed his country had “eliminated” without providing specifics on the cargo or evidence.
“One doesn’t know, because they say it carried drugs but who saw the drugs?” stated Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who acknowledged efforts to curb drug trafficking, citing the seizure of over 60 tonnes of narcotics this year as the most significant amount since 2010.
Cabello, alongside Maduro and other senior officials, faces US sanctions.
Trump has defended these military actions by stating that “violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to US National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital US Interests” through social media. The US government has released videos of the boat strikes, claiming to possess definitive evidence that the deceased were US-bound traffickers, without providing further details. Caracas, however, consistently denies being a hub for trafficking.
