All of Latin America is in shock, as President Donald Trump revealed that potential military raids into Mexico to fight drug trafficking would have his approval.
Trump appeared rarely open to direct Pentagon action in the US's southern neighbor, during a period of continuous deadly drone attacks on alleged narco-vessels off the coast of Venezuela. He does not seem particularly concerned about the potential tensions in US-Mexico relations, while simultaneously increasing pressure on Colombia.
The president stressed that he would be willing to take action to stop the flow of drugs into the US and added that he would be proud to personally "hit" cocaine factories in Colombia. As he stated: "Colombia has cocaine factories where they produce the substance. Would I hit them? I would be proud to do it personally. I didn't say I would do it, but I would be proud because we would save millions of lives."
Strong reactions
Trump's rhetoric about reigniting the "war on drugs" has provoked strong reactions, even among members of Congress, who are calling for a vote before any military action in Venezuela or any other sovereign Latin American country. At the same time, the administration has used the "terrorism" designation to justify attacks, which so far include strikes on over twenty alleged narco-vessels with approximately 80 dead.
Trump also focused on Mexico, pointing out that the State Department had designated six Mexican drug cartels, along with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13, as foreign terrorist organizations. The president stated that he would approach Congress for authorization to conduct the raids and predicts that lawmakers from both parties would support the initiative.
"Let me put it simply," he stressed. "I am not happy with Mexico."
Finally, analysts note that leaders in Mexico City and Bogota are increasingly concerned about the provocative rhetoric, but have limited room to maneuver in case the US proceeds with military actions, while Trump believes that the two countries have not done enough to dismantle the cartels, which fuel the drug crisis in America.
CNN revelation: Trump is weighing a military intervention in Venezuela but...
US President Donald Trump has not yet made any final decision regarding potential strikes against Venezuela, CNN reveals, citing White House sources. This could open an opportunity for diplomacy, an official stated.
The report writes that the American president hopes that the deployment of the fleet, including the largest aircraft carrier in the world and 15,000 soldiers, will be sufficient to force President Maduro to resign, without the need for direct military action.
Trump has been presented with several military options, which include scenarios from strikes on military or government targets to special forces operations. However, the president is hesitant to make a decision due to the risks faced by American troops and the uncertainty regarding the operation's success.
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