US bolsters military presence in Latin America, sparking regional tensions

HotTV

US bolsters military presence in Latin America, sparking regional tensions

2025-12-07 14:06 Last Updated At：12-08 13:02

The United States has notably ramped up military operations in Latin America in recent weeks, fueling heightened regional tensions.

The U.S. side has reinforced its Caribbean deployments and initiated Operation Southern Spear, targeting what it calls "narco-terrorists". Venezuela has accused the United States of using military threats to seek regime change and expand its regional influence.

On Friday, U.S. Air Forces Southern announced in a social media post that B-52H crews from Minot Air Force Base conducted a long-range air demonstration mission on Wednesday alongside Marine Corps F-35B fighters within the U.S. Southern Command's Area of Responsibility, aiming to enhance joint deterrence and respond to regional threats.

Also on Friday, U.S. landing craft delivered troops and equipment to a beach in Puerto Rico. The purpose of the deployment remains undisclosed, according to media reports.

In a related development, media outlets of the Dominican Republic reported on Friday that multiple U.S. military aircraft would enter the country in the coming days. This follows a recent agreement allowing the United States to use restricted areas of the country's San Isidro Air Base and Las Americas International Airport for equipment transportation and technical support.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reiterated on Friday that U.S. actions constitute aggression against Venezuela. He stated that according to the UN Charter and international law, such actions represent an illegal threat of imperialist aggression.

Maduro emphasized that, as he had previously said, the U.S. moves were completely excessive, extraordinarily exaggerated, and entirely unnecessary. He affirmed that Venezuela has not, does not, and never will pose a threat to the United States, adding that Venezuela is a guarantee of security for the entire American continent.

Separately, Venezuela's military said it intercepted and forced down an unauthorized aircraft in Apure State on Thursday, after the plane entered its airspace without identification.

The U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean has reached its largest scale in more than three decades.

Poland unveils measures to ease pain of soaring oil prices

The Polish government has recently rolled out a series of emergency measures to cushion the impact of energy costs on households in light of rising oil prices and increasing inflation risks.

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, international crude oil prices have jumped, pushing fuel prices in Poland up by more than 30 percent over the past month. Starting Tuesday, the Polish government began implementing a package of measures aimed at reducing fuel costs. These include lowering the value-added tax on fuel, cutting excise duties to the minimum level permitted under the European Union (EU) regulations, and cracking down on price gouging to maintain market stability.

Notably, gas stations in Poland have seen an increase in customers following the price cuts. Still, many residents believed the reduction is only temporary and that prices will likely rise again in the future.

"Even though the government has lowered prices, they are still high. I think the price cut might last for a while, but it's hard to say how long. I think this is just the beginning and the prices will rise in the future," said Arkadiusz, a local resident.

Polish economist Tomasz Bieliński said that it remains unclear how long the government can sustain these policies, and that rising energy prices are now transmitting pressure to core areas of the macroeconomy. In his view, if oil prices continue to climb, the European Central Bank and other central banks across the EU may be forced to adjust their monetary policies.

"Interest rates were actually reduced in most of the central banks in Europe. But, this reduction will probably stop, because we have rising prices of pretty much everything on the horizon," he said.