U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected criticism of his country's military deployment in the Caribbean and stated that he doesn't care what the United Nations (UN) says, also dismissing reports from that organization denying that Venezuela is a source of drug trafficking.
"I don't care what the United Nations says, I don't care," the U.S. official said during a press conference in Quito, Ecuador, following a meeting with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.
Rubio became agitated when asked by one of the journalists, who referred to UN reports detailing that only 5% of narcotics transit through Venezuela, while 87% of drug trafficking occurs via the Pacific route, from the ports of Ecuador and Colombia.
When questioned on this matter, Rubio discredited the report and simply called the Venezuelan president a "drug trafficker." "A grand jury in the state of New York says so," he added, without presenting evidence to support this serious accusation.
The White House official's reaction comes days after the video of the alleged operation in the Caribbean, which left 11 dead, was released. Although the U.S. administration initially claimed it was a "drug boat," the images showed the bombing of a small boat.
Venezuelan authorities questioned the authenticity of the recording, which they believe was made using artificial intelligence, and called it a "ploy" by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to encourage a bellicose rhetoric from the White House.
Last August, international media reported a US military deployment in the southern Caribbean to supposedly combat drug cartels. Similarly, US Attorney General Pamela Bondi doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the unfounded charge of leading a "drug cartel."
Caracas denounces the hostile actions of the U.S. as an attempt to carry out a "military terrorist strike" to depose Maduro, after describing Washington's military deployment as a "threat" to peace in Venezuela and the region.
Despite the increasing friction, Maduro maintains the "battered" channels of communication with Washington and expressed openness to dialogue with Trump, as long as Rubio's "gunboat diplomacy" doesn't prevail.
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