The Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, assured that “the people of Colombia must know that they count on Venezuela,” this in reference to the new threat from the United States (USA) to the neighboring country.
“From one day to the next, imperialism offends Colombia,” said the minister during the day to reinvigorate the Big Black First Missionafter ensuring that the US Government’s attack is due to the fact that “he who does not say yes and kneels before American imperialism already runs the risk of being called a drug trafficker.”
Padrino López pointed out that although the Donald Trump Administration wants to disguise the military deployment in the Caribbean with the fight against drugs, the background is to violate the autonomy of the people and seize their wealth.
“What is the strategy, what is the intention, what is the air-naval deployment, what is the background, is it really drug trafficking?” he questioned, while affirming that the world is clear that these actions only seek to “attack our democracies, our sovereignty and appropriate our resources, but they will not achieve it in Venezuela.”
In that sense, the minister wondered if the US also bombs ships with drugs that are detected in the Pacific just as it has done in the Caribbean.
“I wonder why the supposed boats that have been bombed in the Caribbean do not receive, or rather, the interdictions that they do in the Pacific do not receive the same treatment as what they do in the Caribbean,” he indicated and questioned whether drugs do more damage depending on where they come from.
Cataumbo Lightning Operation
During Padrino López’s intervention, he made a visit to the state of Zulia, where he received a summary of the achievements of Operation Catatumbo Lightning, emphasizing that in Venezuela there is an effective fight against drug trafficking, contrary to what the US argues.
In the last week, an illegal camp was dismantled, and seven pistols, two fragmentary grenades, 20 rolls of slow fuses, four high-end vehicles and three motorcycles were seized, among other resources intended for illegal actions.
Likewise, it was learned that a clandestine cargo ship was dismantled and three vessels dedicated to drug trafficking were seized. Containers for the transport of fuel, resin and 126 kilos of alleged cocaine were also found.
Operation Cumanagoto 200
The minister highlighted the work that has been carried out in the state of Sucre, through Operation Cumanagoto, where the scourge of drug trafficking is actively fought, especially that which comes from Trinidad and Tobago.
In this region, thanks to patrol work, the seizure of four AK rifles, three light rifles, 480 cartridges of different calibers, 16 rifle magazines, all of these materials were hidden in a mountainous area.
The destruction of 16 improvised logistics bases and the blocking of two main communication routes into the state were also achieved, preventing criminal groups from entering the entity without being detected.
Likewise, it was learned about the neutralization of two aircraft in the state of Apure, and one in the state of Amazonas. As well as the disabling of a clandestine runway and the destruction of 3,000 liters of fuel, for a total of 411 neutralized aircraft linked to drug trafficking.
