Venezuela’s Maduro slams US-Trinidad joint military exercises as threatening, calls for street protests during the November 16-21 maneuvers
CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has condemned new joint military exercises between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago as irresponsible.
Maduro accused Washington of increasing its armed presence in the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug gangs.
He claimed the real objective is to overthrow his leftist government.
This marks the second joint training exercise conducted by the United States and Trinidad and Tobago in less than a month.
In October, a US guided missile destroyer docked at Trinidad for four days of practice drills within firing range of Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government previously labeled that deployment a provocation.
“The government of Trinidad and Tobago has once again announced irresponsible exercises, lending its waters off the coast of Sucre state for military exercises that are intended to be threatening to a republic like Venezuela, which does not allow itself to be threatened by anyone,” Maduro said during an event in Caracas.
Maduro called on supporters in eastern states to hold vigils and permanent street marches during the November 16-21 military maneuvers.
The United States has recently deployed warships, fighter jets and thousands of soldiers to Latin America.
Washington has launched strikes on 21 alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing at least 80 people.
No evidence has been provided that those targeted were traffickers.
Rights observer groups say the strikes are illegal regardless of their targets.
A US aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the region on Tuesday, prompting Caracas to announce a massive retaliatory deployment.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a military operation targeting narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere on Thursday.
It remains unclear how this operation differs from the existing US military deployment. – AFP
