Flávia Loss, professor of International Relations at the Mauá Institute of Technology, pointed out that there are strong indications that the United States will carry out some type of military action in Venezuela. In an interview with CNN Arenathe expert highlighted that there are currently around 15,000 American soldiers stationed in the Caribbean Sea, close to Venezuelan territory.
“What everything has indicated is that we will have some type of military action from the United States,” said Loss. The expert highlighted that this is the largest deployment of American fleets since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, which represents a clear demonstration of military strength by the US, even after diplomatic dialogues with the Venezuelan government.
Despite the military movements, Loss highlighted the lack of transparency about American plans. “We don’t have an official statement from the American government about what they are planning,” he noted. The professor mentioned that the United States Congress is already demanding answers from the executive branch about military intentions in the region, something expected in a democratic system.
Expanded threats and combating drug trafficking
The expert commented on the president’s recent statements. “This is a threat aimed at anyone,” explained Loss, highlighting that drug trafficking routes to the US have been known for a long time, with the border with Mexico being the main entry point.
Loss criticized , arguing that international cooperation involving intelligence actions would be more effective. “Military force alone does not resolve this type of issue,” he stated. “You mainly need intelligence actions precisely to dismember trafficking networks”, he added.
Electoral context and risks of prolonged conflict
The professor also analyzed the internal political context of the United States, remembering not to involve the country in prolonged low-intensity conflicts, as were the cases in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, according to Loss, Venezuela has the potential to become exactly this type of conflict.
“The tendency is for it to remain in a conflict situation for a long time, apart from the risk of this collapsing into a loss of state control, which is the biggest problem we see here from the point of view of Latin America”, he warned. The expert suggested that Trump’s stance may be an attempt to please the Latino voter base, which is very opposed to the Venezuelan government, but warned that “this move could backfire if the United States becomes involved in a conflict of this type here in Venezuela.”
