US Sec. of state: Venezuela is the largest source of terrorism

WASHINTON, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Venezuela "is the largest source of terrorism leading to instability in Central America." Rubio added at a press conference that his country faces significant threats from countries in Central America, notably Venezuela, which cooperates with "criminals and terrorism, including Hezbollah and Iran, and allows them to operate freely on its territory." He continued that all of this takes place "with the complicity of the illegitimate Venezuelan government and its president, who conspires against the US and allows drug trafficking through the Caribbean region, leading to instability across the region as a whole." There are many governments in the region cooperating with the US in counterterrorism efforts, such as Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic, Rubio added.
Furthermore, the US Secretary of State praised the historic efforts made by Mexico to halt smuggling operations from its territory since the arrival of the administration of US President Donald Trump last year.
He affirmed the US determination to confront all terrorist groups that threaten its national security and to expand relations with friendly countries in the region to strengthen those efforts.
The US administration had informed Congress at the beginning of last September that the United States is engaged in an "armed conflict with terrorist drug gangs in the Caribbean region." (end) amm.ahs