"The White House's former top Latin America official has said he fears the US could stumble into a protracted guerrilla war in Venezuela after Donald Trump ordered a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 alleged drug traffickers. Tuesday's controversial strike off the Venezuelan coast which was reportedly carried out by an attack helicopter or Reaper drone came after the US president ordered a major naval deployment to the region, ostensibly to combat South American drug traffickers."
"On Wednesday, the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, told Fox News the attack was designed to send a clear message to Venezuela's authoritarian leader. The only person that should be worried is Nicolas Maduro who is effectively a kingpin of a narco-state, Hegseth said, comparing the operation to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Houthi targets in Yemen."
"The military buildup in the Caribbean has left some wondering if Trump is plotting to remove Maduro from power by force, despite the fact that in some ways his Venezuela policy has softened since he returned to the White House with the resumption of deportation flights and the easing of sanctions. Asked if the administration was seeking regime change in Venezuela, Hegseth said that was a decision for the president, but added: We are prepared with every asset that the American military has."
A US-ordered strike in the Caribbean killed 11 alleged drug traffickers and followed a major naval deployment to the region purportedly aimed at combating South American drug trafficking. The strike was reportedly carried out by an attack helicopter or a Reaper drone and prompted official statements framing the action as a message to Venezuela's leadership. Defence officials warned of readiness to use all military assets while critics warned the buildup and strike risk escalating into military confrontation or an intervention that could spiral into a protracted guerrilla war.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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