US Revives Cold War-Era Caribbean Base Amid Military Buildup Near Venezuela

By Staff, Agencies

The United States is reviving the Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico, signaling a major military buildup in the Caribbean that analysts warn could pave the way for intervention in Venezuela, according to a Reuters report.

Work to restore the long-dormant Cold War facility began September 17, shortly after US Southern Command intensified deployments across the Caribbean and near Venezuelan waters.

Once one of the world’s largest naval bases, Roosevelt Roads was closed in 2004 but remains strategically positioned for regional operations.

Washington is also upgrading airfields in Puerto Rico and St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, both roughly 800 kilometers from Venezuela.

The Pentagon has deployed around 10,000 troops, destroyers, nuclear submarines, and F-35 squadrons, marking the region’s biggest non-relief mobilization since the 1994 Haiti intervention.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, now leads Carrier Strike Group 12, assigned to “interdict illicit activities,” though regional observers view it as part of a broader campaign to pressure Caracas.

President Donald Trump recently confirmed he had authorized CIA operations in Venezuela, suggesting possible ground actions to combat alleged drug trafficking.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused Washington of fabricating “a new eternal war” to justify aggression, calling US claims about narcotics “vulgar and false.”

Since early September, Southern Command forces have conducted 15 assaults in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, reportedly killing at least 62 people.