A Venezuelan warship allegedly sank after a disastrous attempt to ram a German-owned cruise ship in the Caribbean Sea.
The crew of the cruise liner RGCS Resolute told DailyMail the Venezuelan patrol boat fired gunshots and 'purposely rammed' the vessel after ordering it to sail in the direction of Venezuela.
However, the Resolute is prepared with a powerful hull for ice expeditions, and the collision caused much more damage to the navy boat Naiguata.
The incident happened in the early hours of Mar. 30. Columbia Cruise Services, however, released an official statement on Apr. 1.
RCGS Resolute is a purpose built polar expedition vessel of the highest ice class, rated 1A Super, designed to operate in difficult ice conditions. pic.twitter.com/AMLsae56Vn — Venezuela BTH (@VenezuelaBTH) April 1, 2020
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Pointing fingers
Venezuela's defense ministry - which blames the cruise ship for the collision - did not say that the Naiguata sank; however, witnesses say that it did.
Venezuela's autocratic chief Nicolas Maduro has already raged about 'piracy and terrorism' after the disputed collision on Monday, Spanish-talking media says.
"It is as if a 100-kilo boxer grabbed a boy apprentice boxer and beat him," Maduro told DailyMail, claiming that the cruise ship had been the aggressor.
The Resolute sails under the Portuguese flag but is managed by the German-based business company Columbia Cruise Services. Some reports have connected the collision to the latest diplomatic row between Venezuela and Portugal.
An announcement from Columbia said the cruise deliver become 'concern to an act of aggression by using the Venezuelan army in worldwide waters.'
The cruise ship, which carried 32 teams and no passengers, was idling all through protection on its way to the Dutch-owned island of Curacao, Columbia says.
Shortly after midnight, British news site Telegraph said the ship was radioing the captain to investigate the Resolute's presence near the island of Margarita.
Then, 'gunshots were fired and, quickly after that, the military vessel approached the starboard facet at speed and purposely collided with the RCGS Resolute,' Columbia explained.
The military vessel allegedly attempted to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to show the ship's head towards Venezuelan territorial waters.
While the Resolute sustained minor damages, Columbia said the navy vessel suffered extreme injuries while making contact with the cruise vessel.
Portugal's overseas minister, Augusto Santos Silva, told Telegraph the incident was "unfortunate" after Venezuela reported a complaint in Portugal's embassy in Caracas.
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'The worst offender?'
Business Insider reported that navy ships and planes have recently been visible sailing in the waters and airspace near Venezuela. The region, according to report, also has maritime-boundary disputes with its neighbors -- in particular Guyana.
US military activity in the region has attracted closer interest amid heightened tensions among the US and Venezuela. In August 2019, President Donald Trump said he was considering blocking Venezuela. Officials told Axios that month that Trump had periodically raised the idea of a naval blockade for 12 months and a half.
US and different officials within the area have discounted such action. Faller and various US army leaders have declined to discuss any making plans they are probably doing to Venezuela. However, he and others have stated they remain organized to help in a "day after" situation wherein the Maduro authorities are long gone. The resource is needed for the general public.
