American military forces carried out a training exercise above Venezuela’s capital city on Saturday, marking the first such operation in the South American country since U.S. forces launched an assault on Caracas and detained President Nicolas Maduro along with his wife Cilia Flores on January 3.
According to Venezuelan officials, that January assault resulted in the deaths of no fewer than 100 individuals.
Saturday’s training operation, which Venezuelan leadership said they had approved as preparation for potential medical crises or natural disasters, featured a pair of MV-22B Osprey aircraft that touched down close to the American embassy, along with naval vessels that moved into Venezuelan Caribbean waters.
Venezuela’s information ministry has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
In an official statement, the U.S. embassy expressed its continued dedication to “ensuring the implementation” of President Donald Trump’s three-part strategy, “particularly the stabilization of Venezuela.”
Embassy officials confirmed that Francis Donovan, who leads the U.S. Southern Command responsible for American military activities throughout the Americas, was present in Caracas during the exercise.
“This keeps us on guard,” said Evelyn Rebolledo, 57, an administrator living in the capital.
“A foreign country flying over the city itself, this is new to us and more so coming from the United States, given the current situation and all the turmoil in the country. It leaves us in a state of uncertainty.”
The Trump administration has endorsed the leadership of Delcy Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, and her government has enacted legislation allowing American companies access to Venezuela’s extensive petroleum and mineral resources.
