The United States government intensified its anti-drug policy in the region, carrying out a total of 19 air attacks on ‘drug boats’ located in the Caribbean and the Pacific in recent days, according to information released by The Washington Post.

These events are the result of the policies promoted by President Donald Trump, who has declared an “armed conflict” against the drug cartels.

These attacks, which occurred between October 22 and November 4 of this year, have left more than 70 people dead on board these vessels since the offensive began on September 2.

Controversy with Colombia and the UN

The escalation of war has generated serious friction with the governments of the region, including Colombia, where recent attacks have occurred on the coast of Buenaventura and on the border with Ecuador. The objective of these actions has been mainly ELN ‘drug boats’. 70% of the vessels bombed by the Trump government left Colombia.

The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, has expressed his displeasure, describing these actions as “extrajudicial executions”.

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The concern extends to international bodies, since the US government has not provided evidence to support any of the operations.

United Nations experts stated that these airstrikes could be considered possible international crimes, arguing that “These attacks appear to be illegal executions carried out at the behest of a government, without a judicial or legal process that allows for due process of law.”

The country that has suffered the most impacts from this escalation is Venezuela, with nine attacks. Pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s regime is growing in the face of Trump’s threats to take his actions to ground, which Maduro has described as an attempt to “coup d’état”.

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