Reuters: US upgrading abandoned base in Puerto Rico

The U.S. military has begun upgrading an abandoned base in Puerto Rico, Reuters reports.

Officials, experts, and military sources interviewed by the agency suggest that this and other facilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands could serve as strategic footholds for increased pressure on Venezuela. The construction at the site, they say, indicates preparations for extended operations in the Caribbean region.

Satellite imagery shows that work on the abandoned base began on 17 September.

Retired U.S. Marine Colonel Mark Cancian noted that such developments are typically associated with preparing for a higher volume of military aircraft takeoffs and landings, pointing to potential expansion of operational capacity.

By Vugar Khalilov