The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday (25) that the United States is reigniting piracy and banditry in the Caribbean Sea by blockading Venezuela and expressed the hope that American President Donald Trump’s pragmatism will help avoid a disaster.
“Today, we witness complete anarchy in the Caribbean Sea, where theft of other people’s property, that is, piracy and banditry, long forgotten, are being revived,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
“We have consistently advocated de-escalation,” Zakharova said. “We hope that American President Trump’s pragmatism and rationality will allow mutually acceptable solutions for the parties to be found within the framework of international legal norms.”
According to her, Russia “supports the efforts of Nicolás Maduro’s government to protect sovereignty and national interests, and maintain the stable and secure development of his country.”
United States increases pressure against Venezuela
The United States sent aircraft, vehicles, thousands of soldiers and an Armed Forces aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean, under the premise of combating drug trafficking.
The operations include several attacks on boats in both the Caribbean and the Pacific believed to be transporting drugs. However, questions were raised about the legality of these actions.
In addition to attacks against vessels, the US is also putting pressure on the regime of Nicolás Maduro, dictator of Venezuela, who is accused by the White House of having links to drug trafficking and the Los Soles Cartel.
According to sources consulted by CNN, Donald Trump’s government is drawing up plans for “the day after” Maduro’s ouster, but a decision has not yet been made on a direct attack on the country.
Trump spoke by phone with Maduro in late November, just days before the US classified him as a member of a foreign terrorist organization. The Venezuelan would have received an ultimatum to leave power and the country, but he failed to comply.
In another action that increased tension between the two countries, the United States seized an oil tanker near Venezuela, a measure classified as “brazen theft” and “an act of international piracy” by the Maduro regime.
Trump later announced a “total blockade” against Venezuela’s sanctioned oil tankers and said he will not let “anyone pass without due rights.”
