Venezuelan FM warns U.S. military buildup threatens regional peace

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil warned on Monday that the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean endangers Latin America and the Caribbean's status as a "zone of peace."

Speaking at a foreign ministers' meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in New York, Gil said that U.S. military activities threaten not only Venezuela but also regional stability.

"Who could imagine that an attack on our country would not affect its neighbors or the regional economy?" he said.

Gil stressed that Venezuela has no dispute with the United States, but faces "an attempted military aggression promoted by political elements" within Washington.

He said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered deterrent measures "to prevent this conflict from escalating" and rejected U.S. attempts to link the Venezuelan government to drug trafficking as "a great lie."