"The move, which comes amid a huge military buildup in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela by the US, could offer legal cover to potential direct military action. Trump is reportedly mulling the next step in his campaign against the South American country. A strike on Venezuelan territory would constitute a major escalation of the months-long US operation in the region."
"Venezuelans began using the term Cartel de los Soles in the 1990s to refer to high-ranking military officers who had grown rich from drug-running. As corruption later expanded nationwide, first under the late President Hugo Chavez and then Maduro, the use of the term loosely expanded to include police and government officials, as well as activities like illegal mining and fuel trafficking. The suns in the name refer to the epaulet"
Washington will designate the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, linking the name to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The label refers to networks of military officers and officials implicated in corruption, drug-running, illegal mining and fuel trafficking, a usage that began in the 1990s and expanded under Hugo Chávez and Maduro. The designation coincides with a substantial US military buildup in the Caribbean and could provide legal cover for direct or covert operations. US officials say new operations may begin in days; options under consideration include covert actions and even an attempt to overthrow Maduro, though timing and scope remain unclear.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]