US President Donald Trump's administration is ramping up its military operations in Latin America, with devastating consequences for innocent civilians. In a series of strikes across the Caribbean, at least 43 people have been killed, many of whom were on fishing boats that were mistakenly targeted by US warships.
The justification behind these attacks is dubious at best. Trump has claimed that the vessels were carrying bags of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, but there is no credible evidence to support this claim. The victims were not being smuggled across borders or operating in shipping routes under attack; they were simply fishing for a living.
What's even more alarming is the administration's use of the term "terrorist" to describe these groups. This designation allows Trump to treat them as enemy combatants, thereby justifying military action that would be unacceptable in any other context. The president has even joked about how his actions are making people afraid to fish along certain coastlines.
The scale of this operation is alarming. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, has been deployed to Latin America as part of an effort to "degrade and dismantle" drug and criminal enterprises. This move has sent a clear signal that the US is preparing for war in the region, with potentially disastrous consequences.
One major beneficiary of this escalatory policy is Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has been targeted by Trump's administration through sanctions on his family and associates. The president had previously criticized Trump's actions in the region, and accused him of murder over a strike against a boat that was carrying drugs. Instead of offering legal justification for the attack, Trump responded by cutting off foreign aid to Colombia.
Make no mistake: this is not self-defense. The US has no declared war on Latin America, and there is no imminent threat of death or serious injury from these groups. What we are seeing is a blatant disregard for international law and human rights.
The Trump administration's actions have been condemned by experts in both domestic and international law. Former lawyers in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel have described the attacks as unlawful under both US and international law. Even if a corrupt Supreme Court were to grant Trump immunity from prosecution, it is clear that those who followed orders would still be liable for murder.
As this period of insanity continues, we can expect more escalations and more innocent lives lost. The fact remains that these strikes are a war crime, plain and simple. We must demand that the US government stands up to Trump's reckless policies and takes responsibility for its actions.
The justification behind these attacks is dubious at best. Trump has claimed that the vessels were carrying bags of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, but there is no credible evidence to support this claim. The victims were not being smuggled across borders or operating in shipping routes under attack; they were simply fishing for a living.
What's even more alarming is the administration's use of the term "terrorist" to describe these groups. This designation allows Trump to treat them as enemy combatants, thereby justifying military action that would be unacceptable in any other context. The president has even joked about how his actions are making people afraid to fish along certain coastlines.
The scale of this operation is alarming. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, has been deployed to Latin America as part of an effort to "degrade and dismantle" drug and criminal enterprises. This move has sent a clear signal that the US is preparing for war in the region, with potentially disastrous consequences.
One major beneficiary of this escalatory policy is Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has been targeted by Trump's administration through sanctions on his family and associates. The president had previously criticized Trump's actions in the region, and accused him of murder over a strike against a boat that was carrying drugs. Instead of offering legal justification for the attack, Trump responded by cutting off foreign aid to Colombia.
Make no mistake: this is not self-defense. The US has no declared war on Latin America, and there is no imminent threat of death or serious injury from these groups. What we are seeing is a blatant disregard for international law and human rights.
The Trump administration's actions have been condemned by experts in both domestic and international law. Former lawyers in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel have described the attacks as unlawful under both US and international law. Even if a corrupt Supreme Court were to grant Trump immunity from prosecution, it is clear that those who followed orders would still be liable for murder.
As this period of insanity continues, we can expect more escalations and more innocent lives lost. The fact remains that these strikes are a war crime, plain and simple. We must demand that the US government stands up to Trump's reckless policies and takes responsibility for its actions.
omg did u hear about the us president trump's admin ramping up military ops in latin america? like literally 43 ppl killed and many more injured 
and it's all cuz they were fishing 
idk what's next, us wars on the moon? 
anyway, trumps claims that these ppl were carrying fentanyl and other drugs are super sus 
no credible evidence to back that up. and now he's calling them terrorists? like, what even is that? 
this whole thing is so shady and i'm low-key scared for the people living in latin america 
also, colombian president petro got targeted by trumps admin cuz of his outspokenness 
it's all so messed up. we need to stand up against trumps policies ASAP 
can't let this war crime slide 
and then there's colombia president petro getting targeted by sanctions because he spoke out against trump, talk about a slippery slope 
and experts are saying it's all unlawful under international law, like what even is that? 
. Innocent civilians are being killed or injured, and it's all because of a war on words - the US claims to be fighting against "terrorists" but really it's just an excuse for Trump's aggressive policies 
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is devastating news. The claim about bags of fentanyl being on fishing boats doesn't add up 
. And using the term "terrorist" to describe these groups is really worrying 
this is straight outta nightmare fuel, us just gonna keep sending drones and jets over latin america without knowing what we're really hitting? 
the usa has been down this road before with chile and ecuador back in the 70s, only to realize too late they were messing with the wrong guys. 
It's getting out of hand. I mean, what's the logic behind targeting fishing boats with no clear evidence of wrongdoing? It sounds like a total mess. And now the USS Gerald R. Ford is showing up in Latin America? 
It's just another way for Trump to stir up drama.
. The fact remains, these strikes are a clear war crime, and someone needs to take responsibility for it 
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It's like the US government has lost all sense of humanity. And that whole fentanyl thing? Not buying it 
. I mean, come on, if there was evidence, why isn't it being shared with the public?
It's not just about the people who got killed, but also their families and communities. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I'm so frustrated that the US government is just going around shooting first and asking questions later.
this is getting out of control! how can the president just label people as "terrorists" without any proof? 
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. I just hope we can get some sanity back before someone gets seriously hurt... or worse 
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but at what cost? lives lost, families torn apart, and who knows how many more ppl will be caught in the crossfire 
and don't even get me started on colombia, where petro is getting hit hard because of his stand against trump's policies 
The fact that you think it's funny to make people afraid to fish along certain coastlines is like, wow, what a sicko. 
what we need right now is some tough talk from world leaders to tell trumps admin to chill out and respect international law 
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. Colombian President Petro has been caught in the crossfire and it's really not cool how Trump is targeting him and his family 
. It sounds like a total disregard for international law and human rights 
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this is war crime territory