For now, the White House rules
The tension rises between Venezuela and the United States since the White House considerably increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. Washington states that the deployment of warships, hunting airplanes and thousands of men allows to fight drug trafficking from South America and in particular of Venezuela. Caracas responded with military exercises and a call to dialogue with the United States. What is the White House with the militarization of the Caribbean?
With eight warships, a submarine, hunting airplanes and thousands of men, the United States reinforced its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. Washington has also launched three lethal attacks against boats of supposed drug traffickers.
Donald Trump and his government point in particular to the Venezuelan drug trafficking networks that Nicolás Maduro would allegedly complicit. But the argument of the war on drugs responds first of all to a political position, analyzes David A. Smilde, a professor of sociology at the University of Tulane in Louisiana and a good connoisseur of relations between Washington and Caracas.
“In his campaign, Donald Trump promised his followers that he was going to fight drugs by bombing the posters,” says the expert.
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«There is truly a drug problem in the United States, in cities like San Francisco, that seems like a horror film, there are many people addicted to fentanyl, the problem is that fentanyl does not go through Venezuela. Even, according to the DEA (US anti -drug office), less than 10% of cocaine that arrives in the United States passes through Venezuela, ”adds Smilde, who qualifies Trump’s actions as” political theater. “
According to the specialist, the war strategy of the Trump administration and the destruction of boats seek to demonstrate the existence of an external threat and thus justify the deportations of Venezuelan migrants.
“If they can demonstrate that they have a conflict with Venezuela, then that can help them and give them tools to deport thousands of Venezuelans without trial,” he analyzes.
At the moment, the White House rules out a military intervention to overthrow Maduro, but the deployment of troops increases the pressure on their administration that has called the population to join the ranks of a citizen militia to defend the territory.
Nicolás Maduro «is under pressure, no doubt. Both Chavismo and the opposition think of a possible land invasion, which will not happen. If something happened, it would be an aerial bombardment, ”says David Smilde. “Nicolás Maduro mobilizes militia to send the message that any operation would be expensive because he has mobilized citizens,” concludes the academic.
*Journalism in Venezuela is exercised in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments arranged for the punishment of the word, especially the laws “against hatred”, “against fascism” and “against blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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