The attack on a drug-trafficking group killed about two dozen people, a rights group said. It comes as the United States is militarizing the fight against “narcoterrorism” in Latin America.
The two countries have long been adversaries, and the United States attacked Venezuela this year, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio is starting talks on a legal agreement.
Caracas, Venezuela, earlier this year. Venezuela’s Caribbean coastline and land borders with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana make it an attractive location for potential U.S. troop deployments.
The city’s Hispanic majority, news media reach and air links to Latin America have made it an ideal base for politicians escaping their home countries.
Seeking new elections, María Corina Machado will need to tread carefully to avoid offending the Trump administration, while also asserting her own leadership.