USA has made a first-rate diplomatic leap to designate what he has called “Cartel of the Suns” of Venezuela as a foreign terrorist organization, a category reserved for the most serious security threats. The decision opens the door for the president Donald Trump have new tools to pressure the Government of Nicolas Maduroalthough it does not explicitly enable the use of lethal force, according to legal experts. The questioning of this political movement has been immediate since the Cartel of the Suns does not exist as such, but is the nomenclature with which the Trump Administration has come to refer to an alleged illicit organization at the national level of which the Venezuelan president would be the leader. So, Washington situate a Caracas at the center of a pressure strategy that combines reinforced sanctions, shows of force and internal debate on military options at a time of growing tension in the Caribbean.
A fictitious “poster”
The term Cartel de los Soles does not describe a criminal organization traditional, but—according to analysts—to a decentralized network of military commanders and officials allegedly linked to drug trafficking. The label was born in academic and security circles to point out alleged corruption within the Venezuelan armed forces, but it does not equate to a cohesive structure, with clear hierarchies or a single command. In fact, some experts maintain that the “cartel” does not technically exist as such.
Maduro has always denied any personal relationship with drug trafficking and his Government rejects the mere existence of the network. For Washington, however, grouping these actors under the category of terrorism allows us to activate one of the most powerful instruments of the State Department: additional sanctions directed against assets, infrastructure and financial networks associated with Chavismo. The Trump administration maintains that the measure also expands its room for military maneuver, although the letter of the designation does not expressly authorize it.
A person passes in front of a wall with a drawing alluding to the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, this Tuesday in Caracas / MIGUEL GUTIERREZ / EFE
Climbing in the Caribbean
The decision comes parallel to the deployment of more than a dozen warships and some 15,000 soldiers in the Caribbean region within the umbrella of the US campaign against drug trafficking. Within the framework of these maneuvers, the US army has carried out attacks on vessels that have resulted in dozens of deaths, according to the Pentagon.
Inside the White House, multiple scenarios are being studied, from blows selective to military or government facilities even special operations in Venezuelan territory. They also consider not intervening directly and letting the economic and military pressure make its effect. The Administration assures that the declared objective continues to be to stop the illegal flow of drugs and migrants, although it admits that a possible change of regime would be a collateral effect.
From symbolism to action
The tension has also been transferred to the air. In recent days, the United States carried out its largest recent air deployment off the Venezuelan coast. Over the weekend, three international airlines canceled flights from the country after the Federal Aviation Administration warned of a “potential risk” when flying over the area.
However, the diplomatic route does not seem completely closed, although it is still far from being finalized. Also last week Trump assured that Maduro “wanted to talk” and that he would be willing to talk “at a certain time.” The White House has not clarified whether this contact has occurred or is in the process of occurring.
While the strategy tightens, internal support is limited. He 70% of Americans oppose military action in Venezuela and 76% consider that the Government has not clearly explained its position.n, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll. Trump has shown some openness to a diplomatic solution.
The designation of the Cartel of the Sunsbeyond its dimension symbolicconsolidates a stage of maximum pressure on Caracas. The question now is whether this new legal framework and the increasing military deployment will push Maduro to negotiate or precipitate an even more volatile phase in the relationship between the United States and Venezuela.
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