US deploys carrier group off South America - largest escalation in the region
Administration Donald Trump has decided to send the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, along with a strike group that will include eight warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 fighter jets, to the Caribbean. This is the largest concentration of American military power in the region in recent years.
Pentagon officials say that these forces are designed to «identify, monitor and neutralise illicit actors and activities that threaten the security of the United States and the region».
Reasons for and prerequisites for the deployment
The escalation was caused by a sharp deterioration in relations with Venezuela, which Washington accuses of supporting international drug trafficking, in particular by providing safe havens for criminal groups. President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro responded with warnings of a popular uprising in case of interference.
In addition, the United States has carried out a series of air strikes against ships that it believes were transporting drugs in recent weeks. In total, approximately 40 people were killed.
Consequences and possible scenarios
The deployment of the carrier group indicates the expansion of the US military strategy in the Western Hemisphere, from the fight against drugs to potential regime change.
Venezuela and a number of other Latin American countries have already expressed concern, fearing that the US could use military force on land.
Analysts warn that such a concentration of troops could provoke a new phase of regional instability or even conflict between states.
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