US Navy Advances in the Caribbean with Eyes on Venezuela
By Kathyria Caicedo (La Estrella de Panamá)
HAVANA TIMES – Amid the military deployment, news broke of the passage of the US destroyer USS Lake Erie through the Panama Canal.
On Friday, the US military buildup in the Caribbean Sea continued, in the midst of tensions with the Venezuelan government.
In this context, the missile destroyer USS Lake Erie, part of the US war fleet, crossed the Panama Canal.
This week, the US Fleet Forces released the first images of US.troops moving into international waters in the Caribbean Sea, 200 nautical miles off the Venezuelan coast.
On August 25, Reuters news agency reported that the United States had ordered additional ships to be sent to the southern Caribbean, including the USS Lake Erie, a guided-missile cruiser, and the USS Newport News, a fast-attack nuclear submarine.
After the news broke, this week the presence of the USS Lake Erie in the Canal was confirmed.
Washington has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government of alleged ties to drug trafficking.
The “anti-narcotics fight” is among the main arguments used by the Trump administration to justify its show of force in the Caribbean, although the White House has so far avoided speaking directly of an intervention against Venezuela.
Maduro said Thursday that “there is no way” the United States would invade the South American country and reiterated his call for the population to “enlist” in the armed forces; meanwhile, opposition sectors are calling on citizens to boycott the call-up.
First published in Spanish by La Estrella de Panama and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.
Jah, although I oppose the US being the policeman of the world, as well as its imperial agressions, I dissagree with your idea of the totally illegitimate government of Maduro answering with a military action that would be disastrous for the already hurting Venezuelan population.
Hope Venezuela retaliates against US aggression!
Back in 1992 when the BTTR pilots were shot down by the Cuban Government, many were outraged. They were warned repeatedly by the US and Cuban governments not to make provocative flights over Cuban airspace. On Sept. 2, the US military brutally murdered 11 innocent Venezuelans under the pretext that they were shot because they were smuggling drugs. No drugs were found on the ship and the ship wasn’t searched until after the crew of the fishing were shot. This is a much worse crime than the 1996 shootings. Where is the outrage now? This is part of Rubio’s vendetta against Cuba and Venezuela. Him and Trump knew no drugs were on the ship. It has everything to do with facilitating regime change and having the US control Venezuela’s oil!
The USA has intervened or upended 56 countries since I was born in 1947 according to the UN. This is another one with a blatant lie involved. May I ask, what does this publication do as far as reporting varied opinions?