Russia has condemned the strengthening of the United States’ military presence in the Caribbean Sea, declared the spokeswoman for the Slavic country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova.
“We are witnessing legal anarchy in the Caribbean Sea, where practices, seemingly long forgotten, of the illegal appropriation of other people’s property—that is, piracy, assault, and banditry—are being revived. We strongly condemn these phenomena and call for stability and legal order in the maritime sphere,” Zakharova told the press.
The diplomat indicated that, from the perspective of international maritime law, these actions are considered a violation of freedom of navigation, enshrined in Article 87 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“We remain firm in our belief that Latin America and the Caribbean must remain a zone of peace. We consistently advocate for de-escalating the current situation and maintaining relations of trust and predictability. It is important to prevent events from following a destructive path,” Zakharova insisted.
She also added that Moscow hopes that “the pragmatism and rationality inherent in US President Donald Trump will allow for mutually acceptable solutions for the parties within the framework of international legal norms.”
On December 17, US President Donald Trump declared the Venezuelan government a foreign terrorist organization and announced a total embargo on all sanctioned oil tankers bound for or departing from Venezuela.
The US military operation in the Caribbean, which began in August, includes destroyers, a nuclear submarine, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, and more than 4,000 troops.
Washington falsely justifies the deployment by claiming the need to curb drug trafficking into its territory.
The military movement, considered by the Venezuelan government to be a violation of international law, occurs against a backdrop of drug trafficking accusations against the president of the Bolivarian Republic, Nicolás Maduro, including a multimillion-dollar reward for his capture.
Caracas denounced the deployment as part of a “hybrid war” aimed at forcing a change in leadership in the country.
On December 23, Venezuela demanded that the UN Security Council take measures to compel the United States to withdraw its military forces and end the blockade against the Caribbean nation. \
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
