Trump gives the green light to the CIA to operate in Venezuela
The escalation against the government of Nicolas Maduro
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Another step towards escalation. Donald Trump stated that he had authorised clandestine CIA actions against Venezuela and that he had considered the possibility of attacks on Venezuelan territory. An authorisation made for two reasons: the attack 'on the narco-terrorist regime of Nicolas Maduro' and the Venezuelan government's choice to free its detainees and then send them to the United States.
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President Maduro's retort was immediate: "How long will the CIA continue to carry out its coups?". While the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry explicitly rejected what it called "the belligerent and extravagant statements of the President of the United States, in which he publicly admits to having authorised operations against the peace and stability of Venezuela". And then again: "This unprecedented statement constitutes a very serious violation of international law and the United Nations Charter and obliges the community of countries to denounce these clearly immoderate and unconscionable statements", added the ministry in Caracas.
Increasing pressure
The CIA's OK, the authorisation to proceed, is the latest step in the Trump administration's intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela. In recent weeks, the US military has targeted boats off the Venezuelan coast that they say are transporting drugs, killing 27 people. US officials, according to the New York Times, have been clear, off the record, in claiming that Trump's ultimate goal is to oust Maduro from power.
Trump's remarks would allow the CIA to carry out 'significant' operations in Venezuela and to conduct a series of interventions in the Caribbean. More specifically, the agency would be able to take covert action against Maduro or his government, unilaterally or in conjunction with a broader military operation, so writes the New York Times.
The US contingent in the tropics
The US is able to deploy forces in the Caribbean. The size of the military contingent in the region is substantial: there are currently 10,000 US soldiers, most of them on bases in Puerto Rico, but also a contingent of marines on amphibious assault ships. The Navy has eight surface warships and one submarine in the Caribbean.
