Quito, Ecuador – EcuadorS Chancellor José Antonio Villavicencio has publicly stated that the United States military presence in the Caribbean Sea is “disproportionate,” amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. and increased military activity along the Colombia-Venezuela border.
Villavicencio’s comments come after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced the presence of eight U.S. ships carrying 1,200 missiles allegedly “pointed” at Venezuela. The U.S. has concurrently increased the reward for data leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million, accusing him of leading a criminal association known as the “Los Soles Cartel.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has challenged the existence of Los Soles, calling the designation a “fictional excuse of the extreme right to tear down governments that do not obey them.” The U.S. previously designated Los Soles as a terrorist entity, alleging it provides support to foreign terrorist organizations. Several other Latin american nations, including the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Ecuador, and Paraguay, have also labeled the group as a terrorist organization, though Insight Crime defines it as a network of corruption involving military and political officials benefiting from drug trafficking agreements.
The situation has prompted increased military deployments. With Petro’s approval, Caracas announced the deployment of thousands of security forces to the border with Colombia for anti-trafficking operations. Petro also ordered the militarization of the Catatumbo area with 25,000 soldiers. Maduro has welcomed the security coordination with Colombia, emphasizing unity between Venezuelans and Colombians for peace and sovereignty.Venezuela has appealed to the united Nations, with Ambassador Samuel Moncada requesting Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urge the U.S. to “cease once and for all its hostile actions and its threats” and respect Venezuela’s sovereignty.
