US Expands Caribbean Military Maneuvers

Supplying an additional 2,000 troops, another three US warships have left for the Caribbean to participate in military exercises to begin on Tuesday – despite the consternation of regional social groups and governments.

The USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship; the USS Taylor, a missile carrier; and the USS Fort McHenry disembarkation vessel were selected to participate in the maneuvers by the Pentagon, which has maintained a combat group in Caribbean waters since April. The fleet is headed by the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, reported the Prensa Latina news agency.

The operation will continue until June 15 with headquarters on the French island of Guadalupe and on Curacao, the latter only 50 kilometers off the coast of Venezuela.

“Officially, the military operation has no political significance. Unofficially, however, the exercise is being interpreted by analysts as a political signal directed toward Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez,” highlighted news.caribseek.com.

The Bolivarian Civilian-Military Front (FCMB) and other social, political and environmentalists groups have protested the maneuvers saying it is “an insult to the sovereignty of people and has been designed to intimidate those governments which have decided to respect the will of their peoples.”