US President Donald Trump said Friday that he has “sort of” made up his mind regarding Venezuela, as Washington’s escalating military presence in Latin America has raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
“I sort of made up my mind,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Florida, adding, “I can`t tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in.”
In recent weeks, the US has deployed warships, fighter jets, and thousands of troops to Latin America, and reportedly carried out strikes on 21 suspected drug-smuggling vessels, killing at least 80 people. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, arrived in the region Tuesday to support counter-narcotics operations.
Caracas has expressed concern that the US deployment, which also includes F-35 stealth jets in Puerto Rico and Navy ships in the Caribbean, could be a pretext for regime change. CBS News cited sources saying senior military officials have presented Trump with updated options for potential operations in Venezuela, including land strikes.
Earlier this month, Trump downplayed the possibility of war but warned that the days of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — whom he has accused of drug trafficking — were numbered.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has also alleged that the US deployment aims to seize Venezuela’s oil wealth and destabilize the region. In response, Venezuela has launched its own nationwide military deployment to counter the growing US presence off its coast.