"Marking another significant escalation, Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela is to be closed in its entirety. Since early September, the US has killed more than 80 people in attacks on around 20 speedboats with suspected drug smugglers on board mostly from Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. Venezuela describes the actions as "extrajudicial executions" and international observers see them as clear violations of international law."
"But of greater concern to Caracas has been the associated demonstration of force off the Venezuelan coast by the US. In the last three months, the US Navy has assembled around 12,000 soldiers and a dozen warships, among them the world's largest aircraft carrier. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which has been ruling by increasingly authoritarian means for over 20 years, with President Nicolas Maduro at its helm, sees this as a direct threat to both the party and the country's sovereignty."
The United States has escalated military operations around Venezuela, announcing imminent land strikes, closing Venezuelan airspace, and conducting maritime attacks in the southern Caribbean. Since early September US forces have killed over 80 people in attacks on about 20 speedboats with suspected smugglers, mostly from Venezuela. Venezuela calls the killings extrajudicial executions and international observers see violations of international law. Operation Southern Spear deployed roughly 12,000 soldiers and a dozen warships, including the world's largest aircraft carrier, off Venezuela's coast, which the ruling PSUV regards as a direct threat to sovereignty. Officially aimed at combating drug trafficking, the operation has also raised questions about geopolitical motives and Venezuela's oil.
Read at www.dw.com
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