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A U.S. Navy destroyer, part of a military flotilla, recently transited the Panama Canal as part of an operation in the Caribbean officially aimed at combating drug trafficking. The deployment comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Venezuela mobilizing militias and denouncing the action as a military provocation.
Strategic passage through the Panama Canal
The destroyer, along with other vessels such as the cruiser USS Lake Erie, crossed the Panama Canal en route to the Caribbean. The operation is part of a broader US campaign to counter drug trafficking in the region. According to the US administration, this flotilla seeks to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks, particularly those linked to the Nicolás Maduro regime.
Regional reaction and geopolitical tensions
Venezuela responded with a heightened tone, denouncing the naval presence as a threat to its sovereignty and even requesting UN intervention and condemning the measure as a hostile escalation. It has mobilized military forces and militias to respond to this US naval reinforcement.
Analysts also interpret this maneuver as a show of strength that transcends the anti-drug narrative, reflecting broader U.S. strategic shifts in the Caribbean, such as securing key shipping routes and countering Chinese influence in the Panamanian isthmus.
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