President Donald Trump stated on 5/9 that Venezuelan warplanes "will be shot down" if they endanger US forces. This statement came in response to a question about how he would react if Venezuelan military aircraft continued to approach US warships.
The Pentagon had previously accused Venezuela of deploying two military aircraft near a US warship operating in international waters. They described this as a "serious provocation" aimed at hindering Washington's counter-narcotics operations in the region.
Unnamed US officials, cited in media reports, said Venezuela had dispatched two F-16A/B fighter jets close to the USS Jason Dunham, characterizing the move as a "show of force".
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro argued that disagreements between Caracas and Washington, both past and present, should not lead to military conflict. "There is no justification," he said.
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Venezuelan F-16 fighter jet in a photo posted in 2013. Photo: *Brazilian Air Force* |
The USS Jason Dunham is one of several assets deployed by the US in the southern Caribbean Sea as part of an operation targeting criminal organizations and drug cartels in the region. Observers believe this is also a move to pressure the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
A US defense official stated this week that eight warships are currently involved in counter-narcotics operations in Latin America. These include three amphibious assault ships, two destroyers, a cruiser, and a littoral combat ship in the Caribbean, along with a destroyer in the eastern Pacific.
AFP, citing informed sources, reported that Washington is deploying an additional 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, a US overseas territory in the Caribbean, to support the fleet.
On 1/9, President Maduro described the US military buildup as the "greatest threat" to Venezuela in the past 100 years. He declared that his country was ready for "armed struggle to defend national territory" and ordered the mobilization of regular troops and reservists.
"If attacked, Venezuela will immediately enter a period of resistance," Maduro said.
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Location of Venezuela. Graphics: *BBC* |
On 2/9, the US military fired on a "drug-running speedboat" in the Caribbean, resulting in 11 deaths. Caracas condemned the action, accusing Washington of "extrajudicial killings".
The attack is considered a serious escalation by the US, which has typically used interdiction methods rather than lethal force against drug traffickers for several decades.
US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio declared on 3/9 that Washington would no longer intercept drug boats but would simply "blow them up".
Pham Giang (*According to AFP*)
