During a virtual meeting of the BRICS group on Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed concerns regarding the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, deeming it a “factor of tension.”
According to a speech broadcasted by the South African Presidency on YouTube, he stated, “The deployment of armed forces from the largest global power in the Caribbean creates a tense atmosphere that contradicts the peaceful nature of this region.”
The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump had sent troops to the area to combat what they referred to as drug cartels, which President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela has been accused of being linked to, escalating tensions with Caracas. Following the arrival of warships in the area, Washington announced that it would be sending ten F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, as part of what Trump described as a war against drug trafficking.
The U.S. government has accused Maduro of leading a drug trafficking network, recently increasing the reward for information leading to his arrest to $50 million. Last week, Trump claimed that U.S. forces attacked a drug-laden boat in the Caribbean, resulting in the deaths of 11 “drug-trafficking terrorists,” whom he identified as members of the “Tren de Aragua” gang which the U.S. designates as terrorist.
In response, Maduro condemned the U.S. military presence, denying any involvement in drug trafficking, despite two relatives of his wife previously being convicted in New York for cocaine smuggling.
President Lula had convened the BRICS leaders for a discussion on “defending multipolarity,” as stated by the Brazilian presidency. The meeting was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.