Military Base Reactivated
The White House has reactivated a Cold War-era military base in Puerto Rico, deploying F-35 fighters, helicopters, and transport planes as a demonstration of strength against Venezuela.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions for an area off the southeast coast of Ceiba, Puerto Rico, citing “special security reasons.” These restrictions are expected to remain in effect until March 31. The city’s Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport was previously known as Roosevelt Roads Naval Station.
Located approximately 500 miles north of Venezuela, Puerto Rico serves as a strategic location for the increasing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.
Some lawmakers in San Juan support utilizing Roosevelt Roads as a staging ground for potential military actions against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
Pursuing this stance, Puerto Rico’s Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz described Maduro as “an illegitimate narco-leader” and emphasized that drug trafficking poses a direct threat to both Puerto Rico and the United States. In an open letter to the American public, he stated that every kilo of cocaine leaving Venezuela represents a danger to youth and stability across the region.
The Roosevelt Roads base has historically supported American military operations during invasions of countries such as the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, and Panama before its closure in 2004.
