Venezuela has ordered a military deployment in five strategic states along its Caribbean coast. The operation comes amid escalating friction with the United States and aims to strengthen control over drug trafficking routes and protect national sovereignty, according to official sources.
Tension in the Caribbean©The Daily Digest
After describing the presence of US troops in the Caribbean as a direct threat, the Venezuelan government decided to deploy 25,000 troops in the states of Falcón, La Guaira, Nueva Esparta, Sucre, and Delta Amacuro. With this measure, Venezuela seeks to heighten surveillance at strategic points and send a message of strength amid growing tensions with Washington.
The recent deployments are in addition to the 15,000 troops already sent in August to Zulia and Táchira to confront criminal groups, according to French news network France24.
“No one will come to do the work for us. No one will set foot on this land to do what we are supposed to do,” Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López warned in a recent press conference.
Maduro, for his part, emphasized in a message broadcast via Telegram that the military mobilization responds to a primary objective: “the defense of national sovereignty, the country’s security, and the fight for peace,” according to CNN.
Major General Miguel Chacín Socorro reported that 1.7 tons of illicit substances were seized in recent weeks, which he described as the largest operation against synthetic substances in the country. In addition, 984 citizens were arrested and 94 vehicles confiscated, according to France24.
With this deployment, Venezuela is carrying out one of its largest recent military deployments, with the goal of protecting the territory from La Guajira to Falcón, encompassing both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
For his part, President Trump is considering various options to attack cartels in Venezuela, including within the South American country, according to sources close to the administration. When asked at the White House about possible operations, he responded bluntly: “You’ll find out,” according to CNN.
The announcement of the military reinforcement has generated mixed reactions among the population. While some support it as an effort to guarantee peace and order, others express concern about the increasing militarization of daily life, according to La Estrella de Panamá.
During a virtual BRICS conference, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva noted that the presence of military forces in the Caribbean is causing tensions that run counter to the region’s peaceful tradition, France24 reported.