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| - Venezuela hit out at the United States on Thursday for an "act of provocation," claiming that a destroyer had sneakily entered its territorial waters. The USS Pinckney, a 150-meter-long (490 feet) and 9,000-ton destroyer, entered Venezuela's Contiguous Zone some 16 nautical miles (30 kilometers) from the coast, the foreign ministry said. "The sneaky way the US boat entered Venezuelan territorial waters was a clear violation of International Maritime Law and can only be described as an inexcusable act of provocation, albeit erratic and childish," said the foreign ministry. Venezuela's Contiguous Zone extends for 24 nautical miles off the South American country's coast, although territorial waters encompass only 12 nautical miles. On Wednesday, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said the guided missile destroyer was conducting a freedom of navigation operation against Venezuela's "excessive maritime claim" in the Caribbean. Venezuela's foreign ministry said the move was a "desperate campaign" by US President Donald Trump's administration to "attract the Latin vote" in Florida ahead of his re-election bid in November. SOUTHCOM says it conducts freedom of navigation operations in waters outside of the internationally recognized 12-nautical-mile territorial limits. It said the USS Pinckney and other military ships are carrying out operations in the Caribbean to combat drug smuggling. The United States does not recognize the government of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and has backed opposition leader Juan Guaido's claim to be the country's acting president. However, Maduro maintains the support of the military and has been able to frustrate Guaido's attempts to oust him, despite the pressure applied by US economic sanctions. erc/lp/bc/to
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