【Text by Observer Net, Qi Qian】

The U.S. military has massed forces in the Caribbean Sea, aiming at Venezuela. Latest satellite images show that the U.S. military is stirring up trouble.

According to a report by The Washington Post on October 31, an internal government document shows that Venezuelan President Maduro is seeking military aid from Russia, China and Iran, including defense radars, aircraft maintenance and missiles, to enhance the country's outdated military capabilities.

According to this document, Maduro has already drafted a letter to Russian President Putin, which will be delivered to the Russian side by Venezuela's Minister of Transportation, Velasquez, during his visit to Russia later this month. In the letter, Maduro requests Russia to help improve the country's air defense capabilities, including repairing several Su-30MK2 fighter jets previously purchased.

The document states that Velasquez is currently coordinating the transportation of military equipment and drones from Iran, and plans to visit Iran. He told an Iranian official that Venezuela needs "passive detection devices", "GPS jammers" and "almost certainly drones with a range of 1,000 kilometers".

In addition, Maduro also drafted a letter to China, requesting the two countries to "expand military cooperation" to deal with the "escalation of tensions between the United States and Venezuela". In the letter, Maduro requested Chinese companies to accelerate the production of radar detection systems.

In the letter, Maduro emphasized the seriousness of the U.S. military massing in the Caribbean Sea and its intention to invade. The document did not clearly state how China, Russia and Iran would respond.

The report said that the Kremlin refused to comment. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated late on the 31st that Russia supports Venezuela's "defense of its national sovereignty" and "is prepared to appropriately respond to the requests of partners in the face of emerging threats".

China previously stated that the U.S. actions threaten regional peace and security, seriously infringe upon the sovereignty, security and legitimate rights and interests of other countries, and seriously violate international law. China opposes the unilateral use of force and opposes external forces interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs for any pretext.

Amphibious assault ship "Iwo Jima" maneuvering near Venezuela's coastal waters Satellite image

Maduro seeks help from Putin in his letter...

The report mentions that in recent times, Venezuela has actively sought assistance from Russia.

Velasquez is about to visit Moscow to meet with Russian counterparts and plan to deliver Maduro's letter to Putin. In the letter, Maduro requests Russia to help improve the country's air defense capabilities, including repairing several Su-30MK2 fighter jets, overhauling eight engines and five radars, purchasing 14 sets of Russian missiles, and requesting unspecified "logistical support" and financial support.

The document also shows that Velasquez plans to meet and deliver a second letter to Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

Multiple analysts and officials stated that many of Venezuela's purchased Russian equipment are no longer operational or obsolete. An anonymous former Venezuelan military official said that by 2018, Venezuela had fewer than five Russian-made aircraft still in operation.

The Washington Post mentioned that however, Moscow's official statements have been relatively restrained.

At the beginning of October, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov expressed serious concerns about Washington's increasing activities in the Caribbean Sea during a call with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister. Recently, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov responded by saying that Moscow "respects Venezuela's sovereignty" and believes that such issues should be resolved "in accordance with international law".

"The reality is that Russia is relatively quiet about the Venezuela issue," said Douglas Farah, president of the U.S. National Security Consulting Company IBI Consultants. "They have hardly spent political capital to defend Maduro."

Maduro meets with Putin Russian media photo

"Russia may not be interested"

The Washington Post analysis says that Russia has deep cooperation with Venezuela, and if the Maduro government falls, Moscow will suffer heavy losses. But observers say that compared to previous years, Moscow's means and interest in supporting Maduro may have decreased. The confrontation between the U.S. and Venezuela may even bring unexpected benefits to Russia, as it diverts American attention from the Ukraine issue.

It is introduced that the political and economic ties between Russia and Venezuela can be traced back to 1999. Analysts say that the current cooperation covers a wide range of fields, including key petrochemical sectors and arms procurement. Recently, Russia also approved a new strategic treaty with Venezuela.

Russia is a major participant in Venezuela's oil and gas. Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University, said that Russian state-owned companies directly invested in three Venezuelan joint ventures, producing 107,000 barrels of crude oil per day, accounting for about 11% of Venezuela's current total output, generating about $67 million per month.

The two countries also deepen their cooperation in the military field. In July this year, Russia's State Technology Corporation said that the first phase of the "Kalashnikov" automatic rifle bullet production plant in Venezuela was completed, with the factory capable of producing up to 70 million bullets per year.

However, the bilateral cooperation treaty does not include real military commitments. Victor Jefits, editor-in-chief of the Russian journal "Latin America", said that the treaty is vague on military cooperation, only suggesting that the two countries "improve contact in the defense sector".

The report cites analysis that a change of regime in Venezuela would be a major blow to Moscow, possibly losing a major ally and damaging its strategic interests in Latin America. However, in recent years, Russia, deeply involved in the Ukraine conflict, has gradually reduced its interest in Venezuela, and there is little indication that it will significantly increase support for the country at this time.

"We have moved more than 10% of our naval assets to the Caribbean, which is in a way a victory for Putin," said former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela James Story. "Our renewed focus on everything in the Western Hemisphere has diverted our attention from Ukraine." He concluded, "That's good news for Putin."

U.S. military is stirring up trouble, Trump's latest response

According to U.S. media on August 20, Trump decided to deploy a amphibious fleet near Venezuela under the pretext of "cracking down on drug trafficking groups" in the Caribbean Sea. Bloomberg quoted analysts at the time as saying that Trump did not prepare for an invasion, and this show of force may be aimed at disrupting smuggling routes. This is the largest military buildup in the Americas since the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989.

But since early September, the U.S. military has continuously increased its forces in the Caribbean Sea, deploying over 10,000 soldiers, as well as carrier strike groups including missile destroyers, F-35 fighters, and nuclear submarines. Recently, the U.S. military also sent B-52 and B-1 bombers to cruise near Venezuela.

The third-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Gerald R. Ford" of the U.S. Navy has also been deployed to the area.

The "Gerald R. Ford" aircraft carrier has been deployed in the Caribbean Sea Media photo

Experts analyze that the U.S. military forces have far exceeded the needs of "anti-drug" operations. The Pentagon has not yet explained why the military forces were concentrated in large numbers.

The report said that so far, the U.S. military has carried out more than a dozen strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels, mainly in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in more than 60 deaths. The Pentagon disclosed very little detail about the target personnel, but admitted that some of them came from Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Venezuela and Colombia repeatedly denied the allegations, but recently, the Trump administration's actions have become increasingly intense. On the 15th, Trump said that the U.S. had determined to consider conducting land-based operations to conduct ground attacks on drug trafficking groups, and confirmed that the CIA had been authorized to conduct operations in Venezuela. Last week, the U.S. announced sanctions against Colombian President Petro.

The Maduro government accused the U.S. of attempting to stage a regime change through military threats in Venezuela and expanding militarily in Latin America. On the 26th, the Venezuelan government condemned the U.S. military's provocative military exercises, accusing the CIA of trying to create military conflicts through "false flag operations". The statement also mentioned that a group of "directly connected to the CIA" mercenaries had been arrested.

Reuters exclusively reported on the 27th that sources revealed that the U.S. government had required personnel to sign confidentiality agreements related to missions in Latin America. The report believes that this information further raises widespread doubts, fearing that Venezuela may soon face an invasion by the U.S. military.

"This step is extremely unusual," the report said, U.S. military officials have been asked to protect "national security secrets" from being disclosed, while members of Congress said they were kept in the dark and knew nothing about the key content of the mission.

According to White House information, at local time on the 31st, a reporter asked President Trump, "There are reports that you are considering attacking inside Venezuela. Is that true?" Trump replied, "No, that's not true."

Screenshot of a tweet

However, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on the 30th, the Trump administration has identified a batch of potential targets within Venezuela, including military facilities allegedly used for drug trafficking. At the same time, the latest satellite images confirm that the amphibious assault ship "Iwo Jima" and the Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyer "Gravely" have been deployed to areas where they can strike into Venezuela's territory.

The report said, "If the U.S. military extends its air strike targets to the mainland of Venezuela, it will mark a significant escalation of the operation."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7567628840130986531/

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