On Saturday, May 23, the U.S. military flew two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft over Caracas and landed them near the U.S. Embassy. It was the first military exercise conducted in Venezuela’s capital since U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro back in January.
The U.S. Embassy described this new development as a routine readiness exercise, saying, according to AP News, that it was about ensuring rapid response capability. General Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, flew in on one of the Ospreys himself and met with senior Venezuelan officials, according to PBS News. The Venezuelan government had initially authorized the drill, saying it was preparation for medical or catastrophic emergencies. However, as reported by Venezuelanalysis, officials quietly redacted that statement after much public backlash in the following days. This reflects much of the tension surrounding this development now and what it might mean for future relations.
Flying military aircraft over a city where a U.S. operation killed at least 100 people just five months ago is a hard thing to describe as routine given the context. According to Reuters, Venezuelan authorities put that death toll at over 100 following the saddening January 3rd attack. Conducting a visible military exercise in that same city, so soon after, does not reflect stabilization. Instead, it can be seen as a display of power and military force during a vulnerable and fragile time. Meaningful recovery for Venezuela is going to require real political dialogue and some degree of trust, and developments such as this one do not help build that foundation going forward.
The background and context here is important when thinking about the US’s relationship with the nation. U.S. troops captured former President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3rd and flew them to New York to face drug trafficking charges, according to Reuters. Since then, Washington has backed Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who was previously Maduro’s vice president. As reported by Venezuelanalysis, her government has handed over significant concessions to the U.S., including access to oil revenues and mining resources. The Osprey squadron involved in Saturday’s drill came from the USS Iwo Jima, the same warship Maduro was taken to after his capture.
The development of this drill sparked protests and much citizen unrest across Caracas. Demonstrators carried signs reading “Yankee Go Home” and gathered at multiple locations around the city, as reported by Venezuelanalysis. Trade unionist Adelmo Becerra said the exercise makes concepts like sovereignty feel meaningless to younger Venezuelans. That is a real and ongoing concern for the nation and its citizens. How Venezuela moves forward depends a lot on whether its people have any genuine voice in what comes next, and right now it is unclear if that will happen.
