Despite three U.S. warships maneuvering in the Caribbean, Venezuela pressed ahead with efforts to expand trade and defend food sovereignty in the region.
On Thursday, a vessel carrying humanitarian food supplies and fertilizers departed from La Guaira, Venezuela’s main port about 30 kilometers north of Caracas, bound for member states of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA).
The shipment is part of an ALBA food security agreement aimed at promoting joint agricultural production and strengthening regional food distribution.
In stark contrast, Venezuela says U.S. warships maneuvering in the Caribbean are seeking to disrupt maritime trade.
"While other countries attempt to send warships to the Caribbean Sea to exert deterrence and threaten peace, the ALBA has also dispatched a vessel. However, ours is a ship fully loaded with food supplies, which will tangibly enhance the well-being of people across the region," said Rander Pena, executive secretary of ALBA.
The Venezuelan government has condemned U.S. military maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea, calling them a blatant attempt to interfere in the country’s internal affairs and undermine its peace and stability.
"Our vessel's departure is highly significant, as it marks the beginning of numerous future voyages. It represents an alliance of free, sovereign Latin American nations pursuing mutual benefits and shared success. We refuse to be anyone's backyard," said Coromoto Godoy, Venezuelan foreign trade minister.
The U.S. military maneuvers have drawn widespread condemnation from Caribbean countries. According to the Venezuelan government, Washington is seeking to justify its actions in the region under the pretext of combating drug trafficking. Cuban Ambassador to Venezuela Dagoberto Rodriguez argued that the United States is, in fact, the primary contributor to drug proliferation.
"As this cargo ship sails resolutely in the Caribbean Sea, other vessels arrive in the region to sow suffering and war, reviving the old dream of 'gunboat diplomacy' and intimidating our people. Yet we are well aware of which country is truly the world's largest narcotics empire," said Rodriguez.
Venezuela upholds regional sovereignty amid U.S. military maneuvers in Caribbean
Venezuela upholds regional sovereignty amid U.S. military maneuvers in Caribbean
