The US military, fighting drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela, has instilled fear among the population of nearby Caribbean countries, who are afraid to go to sea for fear of a US attack, The Washington Post (WP) reports.
The publication notes that US actions threaten the region's fishing and tourism industries. Specifically, the article notes that fishermen in Venezuela's neighbor Trinidad and Tobago are no longer going out to sea, preferring to stay closer to shore, and some have stopped fishing at night.
WP reminded that the US armed forces have already announced that they destroyed at least nine boats that were allegedly transporting drug smugglers, as a result of which more than 60 people were killed. The newspaper clarified that at least half of these strikes took place in the waters between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
Washington accuses the Venezuelan authorities of not being proactive enough in the fight against drug smuggling.
