Venezuela exhibits its military might at the start of 'Operation Caribe 200'

As an "operational readiness" exercise aimed at preparing the country "for an armed conflict scenario at sea", defined the Venezuelan Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, the 'Caribe Soberano 200' Operation, which has been taking place since the previous day on the island of La Orchila, about 160 kilometers from the capital. The action arose as a response to the military deployment that the U.S. maintains in the waters of the southern Caribbean for five weeks with the declared argument of combating drug cartels, although the Venezuelan authorities claim that it is a covert maneuver to attack their sovereignty.

You may be interested in: DONALD TRUMP AND VENEZUELA, WE TALK ABOUT THE SUBJECT

"[We are] preparing on the ground to thus raise the operational readiness in the face of the military threat that has risen in the Caribbean against Venezuela," detailed Padrino López in a video published on his social media. In the images corresponding to the second day of the exercise, an important number of troops practicing landing, shooting, attack and defense is reported, as well as the handling of tanks, war vehicles, helicopters, military vessels and fighter planes in a confrontational scenario. The Venezuelan Caribbean facade has been trying to be breached by third countries during the last decade. According to what the Venezuelan Defense Minister recalled, in 2019 there was an attempt to violate the country's territorial sea from Puerto Rico with the pretext of delivering humanitarian aid. And in 2020, mercenaries from Colombia launched the failed 'Operation Gideon', whose purpose was to assassinate the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.

• The US deployment in the waters of the southern Caribbean has led to a new escalation of tensions between Washington and Caracas. According to what denounced by Maduro, eight destroyers, 1,200 missiles and a nuclear submarine are directly targeting Venezuela. On Saturday, September 13, arrived in Puerto Rico five F-35 fighter jets, which are added to what the White House has called an operation against the cartels.
• On September 12, US military forces raided Venezuela's Exclusive Economic Zone and assaulted a fishing vessel. The crew remained detained for several hours and Caracas denounced that it was an "illegal" maneuver. Meanwhile, Maduro asserted that his country is the victim of "a multiform war" orchestrated from the US, whose objective would be to promote a "regime change". 
• In response to the US military movements, Maduro called for the mass enlistment of militiamen. For his part, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces launched the 'Independence Plan 200', while the Minister of Defense announced the beginning of Operation 'Sovereign Caribbean 200' on the island of La Orchila.