The U.S. naval base in Puerto Rico is gearing up for potential actions near the Venezuelan coastline.
For operations close to the shores of Venezuela, the United States is re-establishing a military outpost in Puerto Rico.
Reuters reports on this matter.
The US military has initiated upgrades at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico, which was shuttered over two decades prior, after the aid effort in Haiti. According to Reuters, the establishment is being readied for possible utilization in endeavors in the Caribbean, inclusive of northern Venezuela.
The agency reports that infrastructure improvements are already in progress at the site: the airstrip, storage buildings, and wharves are undergoing repair. Furthermore, harbor infrastructure is being updated to support naval vessels and aircraft.
Reuters’ sources inside the US Department of Defense stated that the revitalization of the base is associated with “escalating instability risks in Latin America,” incorporating the amplified military footprint of Russia and China in Venezuela, alongside narcotics smuggling and migration patterns.
Officially, the Pentagon describes the undertaking as a component of “boosting readiness for aid missions and disaster relief.” Nonetheless, observers suggest that the restoration to operational status of Roosevelt Roads strategically reinforces the US’s foothold in the Western Atlantic and the Caribbean.
Roosevelt Roads, inaugurated in 1943, was a pivotal US Navy installation during the Cold War, utilized to oversee maritime routes in the area. It was deactivated in 2004 subsequent to a string of demonstrations and financial cutbacks.
According to Reuters, the first US Navy and Marine Corps detachments might come back to the site as early as 2026.
