From threats to military moves: A timeline of US-Venezuela tensions in the Caribbean.
For about six weeks, the United States and Venezuela have been embroiled in a serious dispute over the provocative deployment of American ships and troops in the Caribbean, which has gone beyond rhetoric to include Washington’s attacks on boats suspected of drug trafficking.
The administration of US President Donald Trump claims that its actions are aimed at combating drug trafficking and illegal gangs operating in the Latin American country.
On the other hand, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared that his country is facing the “greatest continental threat in a century” due to US actions.
The military and diplomatic tensions between the United States and Venezuela did not start overnight. Since February, new chapters in the tense relations between Washington and Caracas have been taking shape, with the most obvious signs being the unfounded accusations of drug trafficking, multi-million dollar bounties for the capture of the Venezuelan president, economic sanctions, military maneuvers in the Caribbean, the deployment of troops on the border, and mutual threats and warnings.
The sequence of events has led to relations between the two countries now experiencing one of their most important periods in recent years.
February 6: Designating drug cartels as terrorists
A document signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio designates several Latin American drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” including the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal gang that is reportedly present in other Latin American countries.
July 25; Accusing Maduro of Leading the “Cartel of the Suns”
Washington has designated the “Cartel de Los Soles” (Suns Cartel) as a terrorist entity for supporting the Tres de Aragua and Sinaloa cartels, and has accused Maduro of leading the group without providing any evidence.
Maduro has repeatedly denied Washington’s accusations, calling them a smear campaign.
August 7, Trump offers $50 million reward for Maduro’s capture
The White House increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million, once again accusing Maduro and other Venezuelan officials of leading the “terrorist” Suns Cartel.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Khel strongly criticized the decision, saying: “This pathetic ‘reward’ is the most ridiculous cover-up we have ever seen.”
He added: “Their show is a joke, a desperate distraction from their own misery. The honor of our homeland is not for sale. We reject this crude political propaganda operation.”
Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s Minister of the Interior and Justice, also declared that the Sun Cartel is an American invention. “I don’t know how many years ago they invented it, and during that time, they have had about 300 leaders. Every time someone bothers them, they introduce that person as the leader of the Sun Cartel.”