Wilder Fernández has caught four good-sized fish in the murky waters of a small bay north of Lake Maracaibo. The contents of his net will serve as dinner for his small team before they set out to go fishing again in the evening. But this daily task is a job he has recently become scared of doing.
After 13 years as a fisherman, Mr. Fernández confesses that he now fears his job could turn lethal. He is afraid he could die in these waters not at the hands of a night-time attacker - a threat fishermen like him encountered in the past - but rather, killed in a strike launched by a foreign power.
It's crazy, man, he says of the deployment of US warships, fighter jets, a submarine, and thousands of US troops in waters north of Venezuela's coast. The US force patrolling in the Caribbean is part of a military operation targeting suspected 'narco-terrorists,' which according to the White House have links to the Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro.
Since last month, the US has conducted at least six strikes on suspected drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean, with the latest being carried out on Thursday. At least 27 people have been killed, with reports suggesting some strikes have resulted in survivors.
Tensions escalated further when US President Donald Trump indicated he was considering strikes within Venezuela and confirmed that the CIA was authorized to carry out covert operations. Meanwhile, experts warn that these actions may be illegal under international law, raising significant ethical concerns.
The latest attacks have created a sense of fear among local fishermen, with reports indicating that many crew members have refused to go out to sea to fish. This apprehension is compounded by the potential for increased recruitment by narcotics traffickers targeting vulnerable fishermen. Despite these challenges, some fishermen exhibit a spirit of defiance, pledging to defend their homeland against perceived aggressions from the US military.
After 13 years as a fisherman, Mr. Fernández confesses that he now fears his job could turn lethal. He is afraid he could die in these waters not at the hands of a night-time attacker - a threat fishermen like him encountered in the past - but rather, killed in a strike launched by a foreign power.
It's crazy, man, he says of the deployment of US warships, fighter jets, a submarine, and thousands of US troops in waters north of Venezuela's coast. The US force patrolling in the Caribbean is part of a military operation targeting suspected 'narco-terrorists,' which according to the White House have links to the Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro.
Since last month, the US has conducted at least six strikes on suspected drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean, with the latest being carried out on Thursday. At least 27 people have been killed, with reports suggesting some strikes have resulted in survivors.
Tensions escalated further when US President Donald Trump indicated he was considering strikes within Venezuela and confirmed that the CIA was authorized to carry out covert operations. Meanwhile, experts warn that these actions may be illegal under international law, raising significant ethical concerns.
The latest attacks have created a sense of fear among local fishermen, with reports indicating that many crew members have refused to go out to sea to fish. This apprehension is compounded by the potential for increased recruitment by narcotics traffickers targeting vulnerable fishermen. Despite these challenges, some fishermen exhibit a spirit of defiance, pledging to defend their homeland against perceived aggressions from the US military.
