The U.S. military carried out a rapid response exercise in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday. This comes more than four months after the departure of former President Nicolás Maduro.
The exercise involved two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, combining helicopter and airplane features. They flew over the newly reopened U.S. Embassy and landed in the parking area, causing a significant downdraft.
‘Ensuring the military’s rapid response capability is crucial for mission readiness,’ the embassy stated on Instagram.
Venezuelan authorities announced the exercise earlier, with Foreign Minister Yván Gil explaining its purpose for preparedness in medical or catastrophic emergencies. This drill happened nearly two months after the U.S. fully reopened its embassy, following the resumption of diplomatic relations post-Maduro’s departure.
Many Caracas residents gathered to observe the aircraft at the embassy. Meanwhile, protests occurred elsewhere, with demonstrators displaying the Venezuelan flag reading ‘No to the Yankee drill.’ U.S. military aircraft had last appeared in Caracas on January 3, during an operation resulting in Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores’s capture. They were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
The Ospreys, marked with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 insignia, connected the maneuver to the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean. Maduro and Flores were initially transported to this warship upon detention. Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, leading U.S. Southern Command in Latin America, personally observed the exercise. He held meetings with Venezuelan officials and embassy staff.
Donovan’s visit to Caracas, arriving on one of the Ospreys, marked his second official visit this year. During a prior visit in February, Donovan engaged with Venezuela’s defense and interior ministers.
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