Venezuela said Trinidad and Tobago’s hosting of a US warship was a “hostile” act after Washington sent a destroyer to the islands.
The US has moved military assets close to Venezuela in recent weeks, including the recent deployment of the world’s biggest aircraft carrier. Analysts remain puzzled over the White House’s intentions, with some speculating that hardliners are vying to remove Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro from power. Were Washington to overthrow Maduro, the focus should be on who would replace him, a Latin America expert argued: “Removing Maduro is hard, but the transition will be harder.”