Donald Trump claims military buildup is necessary to stem flow of drugs to US but some believe goal is regime change
Analysis: Stakes rise as Trump deploys world’s largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean
The US has deployed the world’s largest warship to the waters of the Caribbean and Latin America in an escalation of the military buildup by the US and Venezuela.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford has joined other warships and a nuclear-powered submarine in what was already seen as the largest US military presence in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama. US airstrikes on boats in South American waters have killed at least 76 people since September.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, has announced what he called a “massive deployment” of land, sea, air, river and missile forces, as well as civilian militia, to counter the US naval presence off his country’s coast.
