Venezuela Rejects US Attempts to Send Navy Ships Near Its Coast

Jorge Rodriguez called the deployment a "desperate attempt to distract attention from the tragic humanitarian crisis" in the U.S. caused by the coronavirus.

Published 1 April 2020

Donald Trump announced this Wednesday afternoon that he would launch anti-drug operations in the Venezuelan Caribbean and other seas in the western hemisphere in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, as part of the National Security plan.

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Trump's announcement occurred at the White House daily press conference on COVID-19, which has left much of the country's population confined to their homes. According to estimates released Tuesday, the virus could cause 100,000 to 240,000 deaths, even if social distancing measures are taken into account

Jorge Rodriguez, Venezuela's communications minister, called the deployment a "desperate attempt to distract attention from the tragic humanitarian crisis" in the U.S. caused by the coronavirus. In a display of sarcasm, he also said that for "the first time" in decades, the U.S. is trying to limit the supply of cocaine, which mostly comes from Colombia, one of the U.S. allies in the region.

In statements following this announcement, President Maduro called on the Trump administration to stop meddling in the internal affairs of Venezuela and called for a "humanitarian agreement" between all the political actors in the country to deal with the real issue, which is the fight against Covid-19.