Venezuela on Monday called the US designation of the alleged “Sun Cartel” as a terrorist organization that Washington links to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro an “absurd hoax.”
The classification occurs in the midst of a military deployment that began in … August by the administration of President Donald Trump in the Caribbean. Over the weekend, six airlines canceled flights with Venezuela after the United States warned civil aviation of “increased military activity” amid these military exercises.
The United States announced on November 16 that it would designate the alleged group as a foreign terrorist organization. This measure took effect on Monday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Venezuela categorically, resolutely and absolutely rejects the new and ridiculous hoax launched by the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Marco Rubio, who classified the non-existent Sun Cartel as a terrorist organization.”
Caracas insists that this is “a notorious and despicable lie to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela.”
Rubio asserts that the Sun Cartel is led by Maduro and other high-ranking officials “who have corrupted the Venezuelan army, intelligence, legislature and judiciary.”
“The Sun Cartel, along with other designated terrorist organizations, including the Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere, as well as drug trafficking into the United States and Europe,” the Secretary of State declared when announcing the designation in mid-November.
The United States includes Islamist groups, separatists, rebels, and more recently gangs and drug organizations from Mexico and Colombia on that list.
“Take care and be careful”
Experts believe that the announcement opens up a range of possibilities for Washington, whether military or sanctions, to continue exerting pressure on Maduro.
The United States defends military deployment under the pretext of stopping drug smuggling into that country. Caracas claims it is actually seeking to overthrow President Maduro and seize the country’s large oil reserves.
US forces killed at least 83 people accused by Washington of transporting drugs in the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, according to an Agence France-Presse census of public figures.
The Venezuelan government describes the ship bombings as “extrajudicial executions.” The United States provided no evidence that the people attacked were in fact drug traffickers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday urged aircraft flying through Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” due to “the deteriorating security situation and increased military activity in and around Venezuela.”