The United States sent a naval fleet to the south of the Caribbean as part of an operation against Latin American drug cartels. Military movement includes three delayers equipped with guided missiles and three ships with amphibious disembarkation, carrying a total of 4,500 military personnel, of which 2,200 are Marines.
In response to the American action, Nicolás Maduro mobilized the Venezuelan militia, calling on its members to meet in barracks and military bases over the weekend. The militia, created in 2005 during the government of Hugo Chavez, is made up of volunteers with basic military training.
Diplomatic tensions and drug trafficking
American military movement is related to accusations against, pointed out as leader of the Sac Cartel, a criminal organization that allegedly facilitates the export of tons of cocaine to the United States.
The presence of ships with amphibious disembarkation capacity increases the perception of threat, as it enables any terrestrial operations on the Venezuelan coast. However, sources of the Brazilian government evaluate that, at first, the intention of the would not be to make a military invasion, but to exercise pressure on Latin American governments not aligned with Washington.
American naval operation also has implications for other countries in the region, such as Colombia, Panama and Mexico, in a movement that interpret as a possible resumption of monroe doctrine, a policy that advocates American hegemony in the western hemisphere.
