July 01
The US reactivates the Navy Fourth Fleet
Almost six decades after it was discontinued, the US Navy
Fourth Fleet as of Tuesday is again sailing the Latin American
seas, as it did during World War II.
In an interview via e-mail with AP, lieutenant commander
Pat Paterson, who is the liaison between the US, Andean and
Southern Cone navies, said the restoration of the Fourth Fleet
is to bring up the region's navy resources and staff up to
the level of other existing fleets, such as the Fifth Fleet,
based on the Persian Gulf, and the Sixth Fleet, based on the
Mediterranean Sea.
While he rejected the suggestion that the move is intended
to counteract Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Paterson
did concede that "there is concern that President Hugo Chávez
may revert the great progress his country has made toward
democratic principles and institutions [...] and may threaten
his peaceful neighbors or destabilize the region."
The US Navy has some 10-15 ships in Latin America on a daily
basis, with some 5,000-7,000 troops, and it has no plans to
add new ships or staff.
Chávez: Reactivation of the US Navy Fourth Fleet
is a threat
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Tuesday stated that
the reactivation of the US Navy Fourth Fleet to patrol Latin
American seas is a threat.
The ruler claimed he was certain the move was a threat, and
underscored that one of the reasons behind this action was
Venezuela's huge oil reserve.
"I do not have any doubt about it. It is a threat. There
is no need to make any questions. I am sure you feel it that
way too," he told reporters.
Chávez urged the member countries of the Common Market
of the South (Mercosur) to ask the US administration for an
explanation on the deployment of the fleet.
During his intervention in the presidential summit of Mercosur,
in Tucumán, Argentina, Chávez lashed out at the
move. "I do believe we should ask the United States what is
this, what do they intend to do with this, what are they looking
for in our waters, in our environment, in the Atlantic Ocean,
in the Pacific Ocean."
