THE United States is leading a series of military maneuvers in the Caribbean, with the participation of forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and countries in the hemisphere, except for Cuba and Venezuela, which could be in the sights of that show of force, Prensa Latina reports.

The nuclear aircraft carrier USS George Washington is leading the sea/air forces in the maneuvers, dubbed "Operation Partnership of the Americas," and the strike group includes the guided-missile destroyer Stout and the guided-missile frigate Underwood, with about 6,500 sailors and – if necessary – two nuclear submarines.

The declared objective is supposedly to "foster goodwill" in military relations between the U.S. Navy and countries in the region, and to intensify efforts in the fight against drug-trafficking and terrorism.

With air reconnaissance flights, depth measurements and land analysis, the United States could be evaluating its possibilities of success for an invasion against a country in the area, regional analysts agree.

Some 4,000 soldiers from the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and France are to participate in maneuvers dubbed "Joint Caribbean Lion" between May 23 and June 15 in Curacao and the French island of Guadeloupe.