US Military Maneuvers in Caribbean: A 'Democracy Promotion' Cruise, Apparently
ABC News dutifully reports Venezuela's rather quaint request for a UN Security Council emergency session, after the US deployed an expeditionary fast transport ship to the Caribbean. Venezuela views this as a direct threat. Anyone surprised by this unilateral 'freedom of navigation' exercise should perhaps consult a history book, or better yet, a map of US interventions in Latin America since the
Monroe Doctrine. The US, with its unrivaled military budget, routinely conducts 'exercises' right up to the maritime borders of nations it deems 'unfriendly,' but let any other power do the same near Florida, and suddenly it's an existential crisis. One might wonder if the Pentagon believes 'emergency sessions' are merely for countries that can't afford their own expeditionary fast transports. The
message is clear: US military presence anywhere near 'our' hemisphere is just good global stewardship, but any pushback is 'aggression.' International law, apparently, is a suggestion for some, and a lecture for others.