CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday slammed new joint military exercises by the United States and its ally Trinidad and Tobago as “irresponsible,” with Washington increasing its armed presence in the Caribbean.
Caracas claims recent US military activity in the region – which Washington says is directed against drug gangs – is really a ploy to overthrow leftist leader Maduro.
This is the second joint training exercise carried out by the United States and Trinidad and Tobago in less than a month.
In October, a US guided missile destroyer docked at Trinidad for four days for another round of practice drills – within firing range of Venezuela, whose government called it a “provocation.”
“The government of Trinidad and Tobago has once again announced irresponsible exercises, lending its waters off the coast of Sucre state for military exercises that are intended to be threatening to a republic like Venezuela, which does not allow itself to be threatened by anyone,” Maduro said during an event in Caracas on Saturday.
Maduro called on his supporters in the eastern states of the country to hold “a vigil and a permanent march in the streets” during the military maneuvers, scheduled for November 16-21.
The United States has deployed warships, fighter jets and thousands of soldiers to Latin America in recent weeks and launched strikes on 21 alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing at least 80 people.
Washington has provided no evidence those targeted were traffickers, and rights observer groups say the strikes are illegal regardless.
On Tuesday, a US aircraft carrier strike group also arrived in the region, prompting Caracas to announce a “massive” retaliatory deployment.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced a military operation aimed at “narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere,” but it was unclear how it might differ from the existing US military deployment.
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Maduro decries US-Trinidad and Tobago military exercises as ‘irresponsible’
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Maduro decries US-Trinidad and Tobago military exercises as ‘irresponsible’
- Caracas claims recent US military activity in the region is really a ploy to overthrow leftist leader Nicolas Maduro
- This is the second joint training exercise carried out by the US and Trinidad and Tobago in less than a month
Inside the Mexican resort that was the final hideout of ‘El Mencho’
- The roar of machine guns and drone of helicopters shook the luxurious resort where Mexico’s most-wanted cartel boss hid on Sunday
TAPALPA:The roar of machine guns and drone of helicopters shook the luxurious resort where Mexico’s most-wanted cartel boss hid on Sunday, plunging tourists enjoying the picturesque western Mexican town of Tapalpa into panic.
Nemesio Oseguera, the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader known as “El Mencho,” attempted to flee the audacious Mexican military operation in the mountainous area of the Jalisco state but was wounded during the escape and died while in transport to a hospital.
“It was terrifying... you could hear machine guns firing from the ground into the air and from the air to the ground,” a tourist who arrived at the resort the night before the operation told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.
The gunfire erupted around dawn.
“It gradually increased, and then the weapons were loud,” the man said, estimating the shootout lasted a couple of hours.
Tourists who rented the exclusive cabins were allowed to leave on Tuesday, following an initial request from the mayor’s office on Sunday to shelter in place.
Last date
Oseguera had his last date in the cabin resort with a girlfriend, who officials say was key to tracking the drug lord.
He had maintained a low profile at the Tapalpa Country Club, according to AFP interviews.
“I didn’t know there were people like that (here),” said one young domestic worker who lives in the area, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
But a tourist, who also asked not to be identified, said he had heard that the drug lord “was in this region.”
He said he imagined what might happen if they tried to arrest the cartel boss.
“It was a very tense moment,” he said of the violence, which involved a firefight between government special forces and the cartel’s security detail.
Authorities on Tuesday prevented people from approaching the scene of the battle.
The drug lord’s two-story stone resort house, which displayed large religious images on the exterior, was surrounded by hundreds of shell casings and an abandoned Jeep with its doors open, according to residents.
Mexican media outlets published images of the cabin’s luxurious interior, showing furniture with open drawers and unmade beds.
A table with religious images and candles, a handwritten prayer and medication for the kidney problems that had reportedly plagued Oseguera for years could also be seen.
Incendiary revenge
Oseguera’s killing made Tapalpa, a town known for its scenic charm and ecotourism activities, the epicenter of a wave of retaliation from the CJNG that spread to 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.
“They were burning cars and buses on the outskirts of Tapalpa,” the domestic worker recalled.
By Tuesday, the town was desolate.
Tourists, who usually spend weekends in this wooded retreat, began to head home.
str-lp/lga/lb
Nemesio Oseguera, the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leader known as “El Mencho,” attempted to flee the audacious Mexican military operation in the mountainous area of the Jalisco state but was wounded during the escape and died while in transport to a hospital.
“It was terrifying... you could hear machine guns firing from the ground into the air and from the air to the ground,” a tourist who arrived at the resort the night before the operation told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.
The gunfire erupted around dawn.
“It gradually increased, and then the weapons were loud,” the man said, estimating the shootout lasted a couple of hours.
Tourists who rented the exclusive cabins were allowed to leave on Tuesday, following an initial request from the mayor’s office on Sunday to shelter in place.
Last date
Oseguera had his last date in the cabin resort with a girlfriend, who officials say was key to tracking the drug lord.
He had maintained a low profile at the Tapalpa Country Club, according to AFP interviews.
“I didn’t know there were people like that (here),” said one young domestic worker who lives in the area, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
But a tourist, who also asked not to be identified, said he had heard that the drug lord “was in this region.”
He said he imagined what might happen if they tried to arrest the cartel boss.
“It was a very tense moment,” he said of the violence, which involved a firefight between government special forces and the cartel’s security detail.
Authorities on Tuesday prevented people from approaching the scene of the battle.
The drug lord’s two-story stone resort house, which displayed large religious images on the exterior, was surrounded by hundreds of shell casings and an abandoned Jeep with its doors open, according to residents.
Mexican media outlets published images of the cabin’s luxurious interior, showing furniture with open drawers and unmade beds.
A table with religious images and candles, a handwritten prayer and medication for the kidney problems that had reportedly plagued Oseguera for years could also be seen.
Incendiary revenge
Oseguera’s killing made Tapalpa, a town known for its scenic charm and ecotourism activities, the epicenter of a wave of retaliation from the CJNG that spread to 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.
“They were burning cars and buses on the outskirts of Tapalpa,” the domestic worker recalled.
By Tuesday, the town was desolate.
Tourists, who usually spend weekends in this wooded retreat, began to head home.
str-lp/lga/lb
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