Venezuela claims US violated nuclear treaty

(MENAFN) Venezuela has accused the United States of breaching a regional nuclear agreement following the deployment of American warships and a nuclear-powered submarine to the Caribbean. The Venezuelan government is calling on the United Nations to intervene, citing concerns over increased U.S. military activity near its borders.

The accusation comes in response to Washington’s recent deployment of three warships and 4,000 Marines to the region, an action the White House claims is part of a larger campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America. However, additional reports indicate that the U.S. has since dispatched two more vessels: the USS Erie, a guided-missile cruiser, and the USS Newport News, a nuclear-powered submarine.

In reaction, Venezuela has mobilized its own naval forces and drones to monitor the nation's coastal waters. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto has written to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, condemning what he described as the positioning of nuclear assets in the Caribbean and urging a return to diplomacy and restraint.

Gil argued that the U.S. actions violate the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which bans nuclear weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean. He dismissed Washington's stated goal of targeting drug traffickers, claiming Venezuela has no illicit drug crops and labeling the military buildup a pretext for asserting regional control.

On Tuesday, Gil met with the UN’s Resident Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, to express his concerns. He referenced the 2014 CELAC declaration that designated the region a “Zone of Peace,” a position recognized by the UN.

The Venezuelan government has characterized the U.S. deployments as aggressive and destabilizing, adding further strain to already tense relations between the two countries. Washington recently labeled the Venezuelan group Cartel de los Soles a criminal organization, alleging it is controlled by President Nicolás Maduro and other senior officials. Maduro, who was indicted by the U.S. on drug trafficking charges in 2020, has rejected the allegations as politically driven.

Echoing Venezuela’s concerns, Bolivian President Luis Arce accused the U.S. of using anti-drug efforts as a cover for expanding its influence in Latin America and criticized the military buildup in the Caribbean as a power move.

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