Jean-Noel Barrot, French foreign minister, says France isworried about the United States military operations in the Caribbean. The US military has carried out at least 19 strikes so faragainst suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coasts ofLatin America, killing at least 76 people. On Tuesday, US officials said the Gerald Ford, the world’slargest aircraft carrier, had moved into the region, adding to the eightwarships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft already in the Caribbean. Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’summit in Canada, Barrot said the violence risks spilling into Frenchterritory. “We have observed with concern the military operations inthe Caribbean region, because they violate international law and because Francehas a presence in this region through its overseas territories, where more thana million of our compatriots reside,” Barrot said. “They could therefore be affected by the instability causedby any escalation, which we obviously want to avoid.” The deadly strikes forced the United Kingdom to suspendintelligence sharing with the US. This pause, which began over a month ago, followed the US’shift from law enforcement interdiction to lethal military action against thevessels. Meanwhile,Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedlyalleged that the US buildup is designed to drive him from power. Trump has been a longtime critic of Maduro. In August, hisadministration doubled a reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest,accusing him of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world”. The reward now stands at $50 million.
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