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On April 1st, US President Donald Trump announced the launching of a “counter-narcotics operation” which would see the deployment of US Navy ships near Venezuela, after setting a $15 million bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in relation to drug-terrorism accusations.
“Today, the United States is launching an anti-drug operation in the Western Hemisphere to protect the American people from the fatal scourge of drug trafficking,” Trump said at a press conference in the White House.
“As governments and nations focus on the coronavirus there is a growing threat that cartels, criminals, terrorists and other malign actors will try to exploit the situation for their own gain,” said Trump. “We must not let that happen.”
“The Venezuelan people continue to suffer tremendously due to Maduro and his criminal control over the country, and drug traffickers are seizing on this lawlessness,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said after the president’s announcement.
The deployment is one of the largest U.S. military operations in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power and bring him to the U.S. to face drug charges.
It involves assets like Navy warships, AWACS surveillance aircraft and on-ground special forces seldom seen before in the region.
The goal is to nearly double the U.S. counter-narcotics capacity in the Western Hemisphere, with forces operating both in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Esper said the mission would be supported by 22 partner nations.
“If I was just indicted for drug trafficking by the United States, with a $15 million reward for my capture, having the U.S. Navy conducting anti-drug operations off my coast would be something I would worry about,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who has been among those calling for a tougher stance against Maduro.
Venezuela’s communications minister, Jorge Rodriguez, called the deployment a “desperate attempt to distract attention from the tragic humanitarian crisis” in the U.S. caused by the coronavirus.
In a display of sarcasm, he also said that for “the first time” in decades, the U.S. is trying to limit the supply of cocaine, which mostly comes from Colombia, one of the U.S. allies in the region.
In statements following this announcement, President Maduro called on the Trump administration to stop meddling in the internal affairs of Venezuela and called for a “humanitarian agreement” between all the political actors in the country to deal with the real issue, which is the fight against COVID-19.
Nicholas Maduro had previously warned that the United States, Colombia, and Brazil were carrying out a plan for a sea and air blockade and a further invasion of Venezuela.
The report of the planned deployment comes two days after one of Venezuela’s naval patrol boats sank after colliding with a Portuguese-flagged cruise ship near the Venezuelan-controlled island of La Tortuga.
Maduro accused the ship of acting aggressively and said it was possibly carrying “mercenaries” seeking his ouster.
“You have to be very naive to see this as an isolated incident,” Maduro said.
The announcement came just one day after the US announced its Democratic Transition Framework for Venezuela.
The US proposal calls for Maduro to “step aside” and for the opposition-controlled National Assembly “to elect an inclusive transitional government acceptable to the major factions”. This council of state would govern until it oversees elections, which Pompeo said the United States hoped could be held in six to 12 months.
It was categorically rejected by the Venezuelan government.
The Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab called for US-proclaimed Venezuelan President Juan Guaido to provide testimony on April 2nd as part of an investigation into an alleged coup attempt.
It is unlikely that Guaido would appear, and it could be that the US is ramping up pressure in order to guarantee that the horse they bet on remains in the race.
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senator rubio is stone cold dumb and thinks martial law spells marshall law. what a flake what an idiot. but I suppose he sets the standard of the other senators which is worrying for the world. but I always knew that education in the disunited states of A was seriously flawed producing class A idiots mostly.
Rubio made his fortune in Florida owning a company that made porn videos. Thats all you need to know about him…
Rubio in all his glory.
https://www.queerty.com/are-these-photos-of-marco-rubio-at-a-gay-miami-foam-party-20160202
obviouslyp—any one familiar w Dewey, Mann, Jules Henry, Richard Hofstadter “amerikan academics r technicians that serve power w a thin understanding of everything” –is fully aware that US schools r designed to socialize, not to educate “nowhere in an amwerikan public education r the concepts of truth and falsity, nor r ideas ever addressed”. Neil Postman
CIA is the main importer of Cocaine from South America into the U.S. I guess they need to invade another country and plunder it stealing its oil…
no more oil wars. that is what the green new deal is about, NATO requires equipment to run without oil now. Hence the massive western push to create a ‘race’ for private business to research and develop electric tech.
the new NATO/UN/EU neocon wars will be for minerals,
On paper. But the U.S. still invested $1.5trill into shale oil…which went belly up now because its a lot more expensive to produce. Lithium is in Afghanistan and Venezuela. So partially you are right.
Electric motor Abrams tank 3 mph, range 250 centimeters
:_) Its not much better with gas turbine. It has the highest fuel consumption amongst any main battle tanks.
saudi would not have dropped its oil prices so heavily without United States of Arseholes approval or direction. So if the USA is willing to send its own fracking companies to the wall then it has given them opportunities for future diversification only opportunities for diversification in the energy sector with government money for private companies is all in new green deal tech. USA is pulling out of the ME. It called Iran’s bluff when it murdered soleimani. And Iran stepped up
I dont think U.S. govt approved saudi actions but the rest I agree with.
saudi do nothing without USA approval. If the USA didnt agree to the price war then their petrodollar would be getting destroyed right now. it isnt the price of oil causing the recessin, its forced closure of small business and self employed that is destroying the economy T May talked about creative destruction last year. This falls into line with the vultures that are circling assets, homes and stocks. and the rumours of a huge 5g rollout currently underway
But Pompeo asked the Saudis to stop the oil war. Recession is caused by multiple things. Oil war, closures, trade deficit, exorbitant debt. Whole economy is frozen, GDP fir the first quarter is down by 34% and thats only the start… As usual avg Joe is the hardest hit.
the business cycle is a myth. always has been recessions are referred to as ‘harvests’ they are designed to reap your efforts of labour This is a manufactured recession.
Chile and Bolivia possess the most known lithium of all nations
Than they should brace for a U.S. invasion…
Don’t forget these wars are also for the simple joy of killing
“amerikans have always been genocidal, enjoying killing from afar”. Philip Slater ‘the amerikan soul is hard, Isolate–a killer”. DH Lawrence
Crumbling U.S. Empire…
USA foreign policy is total shit.
war on drugs, creates more drugs war on terrorism, creates more terrorists war on poverty, increases poverty war on homelessness, increases homelessness war against disease, creates more disease’s
United States of America aint going to heaven
amerikans already live in hell “the banality of amerika–the radical absence of culture”. J Baudrillaird “the people of amerika tolerate a level of ugliness in their daily lives nearly without precedent in the history of western civilization”. Yuri Bezmenov Read Bertold Brecht’s poem ‘contemplating hell’ to comprehend his view of the USA
I like the american people but globalists are a nightmare. Ford was a huge fan of communism
What about US drug traffic from Afghanistan.
while amerikans consume more heroin than any other people, experts demonstrate that 90+% is produced in Mexico
look at those dudes, incredibly evil looking
The US rhetoric is the same as that used by reagan, clinton, the bushwacker, obomber, and now the Trumpster. The USadmin did the same for Afghanistan, who now have a thriving heroin industry.
Venezuelan’s cannot wait to greet their US liberators and are probably this very minute preparing a warm welcome. I’m sure it will go well :) PS. Don’t mention Cuba or Grenada.
production has increased by 2500% according to WHO during the amerikan occupation–this has generated repeated formal complaints to the UN by both Russia and Iran
US battleship are filled with Corona virus infected sailors. They are not interdicting drugs: they are engaged in bacteriological warfare.
Must be very disappointing to Venezuela and Iran to learn that Russia is aiding the US in there fight with the virus.
This is a cover for a blockade. At the very least to intimidate normal commercial shipping to/from Venezuela and possibly to setup seizure of oil tankers. I wonder if they understand that the Venezuelans might shoot back?
I see it goes all the way past Nicaragua. I’m sure the drug running from Columbia will be ignored, as they are the ‘right’ people, and where most of it comes from anyways. The US doesn’t like competition, squeezing out the little boats while the big container ships continue on their merry way. Remember the two ships loaded with tons of cocaine that belonged to JP Morgan, I think it was?
Yes, the ship named MSC Gayane, hauling 26 tons of cocaine worth about $1.5~$2bn. It’s not all. Remember the cocaine found on Bolsonaro’s support airplane on his way to G20 summit? It must be crafty Maduro’s doing I guess, trapping the innocent Jair.
If they really want to stop the flow of drugs, they should pay attention to the US airforce airplanes and CIA’s Air America. It’s hard believing they are against drugs when US military guards poppy fields and moves the product.
Exactly.
today—7-9 US military bases in Colombia….2 shared w Colombia
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3634fe90ffb7c769c7d6695e5051fa7897e8945786fbccdd4b387ebf610181e2.jpg
Stop the use by the american…and the narco trafico will fall alone..
amerikans, so stupified, anxious, insecure, they require perico and other substances to address their sexual repression and money neurosis—US DEA estimates that 70% of all coke is produced in Colombia—and 90% of Colombian coke is exported to the USA…as Menkhen wrote–it is impossible to underestimate the intelligence of an amerikan.