Venezuela has called the arrival of a US warship in Trinidad and Tobago and planned military exercises there a “provocation”, while announcing the arrest of mercenaries it claims are linked to the CIA and were preparing an attack on its country, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
“Venezuela condemns the military provocation by Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with the CIA with the aim of provoking war in the Caribbean“, the text of the Caracas statement reads.
“The Republic condemns before the international community the dangerous “military exercises“ carried out by the government of Trinidad and Tobago between 26 and 30 of this month, under the coordination, financing and control of the US Southern Command - an action that constitutes a hostile provocation against Venezuela and a serious threat to peace in the Caribbean", the text continues.
The arrival of the US warship “Gravely“ for joint military exercises with the Trinidadian army was announced on Thursday, as US President Donald Trump steps up pressure on his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro. Washington has deployed seven warships to the Caribbean Sea and one to the Gulf of Mexico, officially as part of an anti-drug operation specifically targeting Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro.
President Trump admitted last week that he had authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela.
Since the beginning of September, the US has been carrying out air strikes, mainly in Caribbean waters, against vessels presented as belonging to drug traffickers. Ten such strikes have been confirmed so far. They have killed at least 43 people.
Maduro denies drug trafficking charges and accuses the US of trying to overthrow him to get its hands on Venezuela's oil reserves.