The Venezuelan Assembly will begin an investigation into the alleged “extrajudicial executions” of Venezuelans in the military bombings that the United States initiated three months ago against vessels that allegedly transported drugs in the Caribbean.
The president of the Assembly and close collaborator of President Nicolás Maduro, Jorge Rodríguez, announced on Sunday after meeting with victims’ families, that a commission of deputies will be formed to investigate “the serious events that led to the murder of Venezuelans in the waters of the Caribbean Sea.”
It is the first time since the beginning of US operations that the ruling party publicly announces a meeting with the families of the deceased.
The United States deployed naval forces in the Caribbean since August to combat drug trafficking in the region, according to the government of President Donald Trump. Starting in September, it began a series of bombings against small boats that, it claimed, departed from Venezuela with drugs on board. More than 80 people have been killed in the attacks.
The Venezuelan Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, then indicated that the authorities were already investigating the first attack, but since then he has not provided details of the investigation.
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Rodríguez specified that the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office will also take part in the investigation into “the crimes that have been committed against Venezuelans and Latin Americans in the Caribbean region.”
The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, assured that there are also Colombian victims, joining the condemnation of the US military presence in the region.
Washington’s actions have intensified the pressure on the Venezuelan president, whom it accuses of leading an alleged narcoterrorist organization. For its part, Caracas affirms that the accusations are false and Trump’s actions are aimed at “seizing” its oil and removing Maduro from power.
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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration recently warned about the risk of flying over Venezuelan airspace, forcing several airlines to suspend their operations.
Trump said the day before that the airspace “over and around” Venezuela should be considered “completely closed,” which Caracas called a “colonialist threat.”
