Venezuela performed on Saturday military exercises intended to protect the coasts against possible “covert operations” approved by the administration of US President Donald Trump, the US said on Saturday. Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino.
Trump authorized CIA operations in Venezuela and said he is studying ground attacks against alleged drug cartels in the Caribbean country. The Republican leader accuses Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of allegedly heading drug trafficking networks.
“We are developing an exercise that began 72 hours ago, a coastal defense exercise (…) to protect ourselves, not only from large-scale military threats, but also to protect us from drug trafficking, to protect us from terrorist threats, to protect us from covert operations that seek to destabilize the country’s interior,” Padrino said.
Venezuelan soldiers deployed to the country’s coasts to carry out a day of exercises ordered by Maduro, who denounced the day before that the United States “is inventing a war” against the country.
Since August, the United States has deployed a flotilla of ships, combat aircraft and a nuclear-powered submarine for anti-drug operations. Caracas maintains that the maneuvers mask a plan to overthrow the Venezuelan government.
Since September 2, US forces have bombed 10 suspected drug boats, leaving some 43 dead. Eight of the attacks have been in the Caribbean.
State television showed images of soldiers deployed in nine coastal states and of a militiaman with a Russian Igla-S anti-aircraft missile on his shoulder.
On Friday, Padrino stated that the “CIA is present not only in Venezuela, but in all parts of the world.” “They could put I don’t know how many bodies attached to the CIA in covert operations from any flank of the nation and any attempt will fail,” he said.
The United States announced that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will join its flotilla in the Caribbean to “counter narcoterrorism” in Latin America.
In addition, this Sunday the warship USS Gravely is scheduled to arrive on the coast of Trinidad and Tobago for joint exercises. These maneuvers will be carried out between October 26 and 30.
Caracas questions its neighbor’s support for the US deployment.
