Washington Escalates โขMilitary Presence in โLatin America, Trump Claimsโ Decision Made on Venezuela
Recent weeks have seen a notableโข increase in U.S.military activity in Latinโข America, โคincluding the deployment of warships,โฃ fighter jets, and thousands of troops. U.S. forcesโ haveโ also โคconducted attacks on 21 suspected drug-trafficking โvessels,โฃ resulting in at least 80 fatalities. The worldS largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R.ford, arrived in the regionโฃ last Tuesday as part of a statedโ effortโ too combat drug trafficking.
The heightened U.S. military presenceโค hasโ sparked concerns of potential intervention in Venezuela, with โขthe Venezuelan โฃgovernmentโข allegingโ a hidden regime change plot. These anxieties were fueled by reports, citing senior military officials, โthatโ formerโ President Donald Trump was presented with options for a โpossibleโ military operation in Venezuela, โคincludingโข ground attacks. โฃWhile Trump previously dismissed the possibility of war โฃwith Venezuela on November 2nd, he asserted that the daysโ ofโข Presidentโฃ Nicolรกs Maduro, whom he โaccuses of being a drug lord, were numbered. Colombian President โGustavo Petro has โalso voiced โคconcerns โฃthat the U.S.deployment aims to seize Venezuela’s oil wealth and destabilize the region. In response,Venezuela has deployed its ownโ military forces toโ counter the growing U.S. โnaval presenceโ offโ its coast.