With military pressure, Trump suggests willingness to negotiate with Maduro
For observers in the region, this could symbolize the White House’s attempt to indicate that it will have a national security justification for being able to attack cartels wherever it deems appropriate, including in foreign territories.
Tension in Latin America gained new contours after the Trump administration announced, last week, a military operation entitled “Spear of the South”, with the aim of combating “narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere”. Despite not informing the exact location where the operation will take place or giving details, Hegseth said that the action will be a joint effort with the Southern Military Command, responsible for operations in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The announcement comes just days after the region recorded the arrival in the Caribbean Sea of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, an indication of a possible increase in military forces in an offensive against Venezuela.
Diplomats admitted to the Facto News that proposals for attacks on Venezuelan territory were presented to Trump. The president, according to these sources, has not yet made a final decision on how to act.
Still, governments in the region are pessimistic about the possibility of a negotiated solution between the Americans and Caracas and consultations are being held with members of the UN Security Council to assess how to deal with a possible aggression. Two weeks ago, the body was unable to reach an agreement in the face of a US veto.
Among Colombians, Mexicans and Brazilians, American air action would be considered “extremely serious” and would need to be politically demarcated as unacceptable. One of the concerns is that, if no one reacts, the White House will consider that it has the freedom to continue acting in the region and would consolidate the perception of the recovery of the “backyard”.
