MOSCOW, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Caribbean "hotspot" situation is based on a completely fabricated pretext, and Washington's allegations against the Venezuelan leadership are for the most part unfounded, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
"If we take a closer look at previously published documents on drug trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean, which were released by both the UN and the U.S. Department of State, it is easy to notice that the topic of Venezuela and the drug cartels, that the U.S. is now repeatedly referencing, is in fact either entirely absent or remains far in the background," Ryabkov said in comments published on the Foreign Ministry's website on Tuesday.
In other words, the current narrative is being artificially inflated to provide a plausible political "justification" for the buildup of military strike power in the region, he added.
Ryabkov said that Moscow maintains strong solidarity with Venezuela, citing the recently ratified strategic partnership and cooperation agreement between the two countries. "We cooperate with Venezuela across all fronts, including through security agencies," he said.
Russia condemns the escalation of tensions in this region and advocates for all of Latin America to remain a zone of peace, Ryabkov said.
"We urge the international community, first and foremost the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, to speak out strongly and decisively to restrain Washington from further escalating the situation and to push the U.S. to abandon its dangerous aggressive designs," he noted.
The United States has increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. As of Thursday, the Pentagon has carried out at least 22 known strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean since Sept. 2, killing more than 87 people aboard. ■
