Hundreds Protest U.S. Military Exercises at Muñiz Air Base in Puerto Rico (VIDEO)

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered over the weekend outside Muñiz Air National Guard Base in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to protest ongoing U.S. military exercises. The base is currently being used by the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), which is deployed to the Southern Caribbean to counter what U.S. officials describe as narco-terrorist operations linked to Venezuela.

Protesters voiced their opposition to the military buildup, criticizing Washington’s increasing use of Puerto Rican territory for regional operations. Many carried placards and chanted slogans denouncing what they called the “militarization” of the island and the risks it poses to local communities.

Organizers of the protest said the exercises not only heighten tensions in the region but also undermine Puerto Rico’s safety and sovereignty. “We reject the use of Puerto Rican land for U.S. wars and interventions,” one activist said during the demonstration.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which includes Marines and naval forces, has been conducting training and operational drills as part of its broader mission to disrupt drug trafficking and organized crime networks in the Southern Caribbean.

While U.S. officials maintain the deployment is focused on countering illegal narcotics operations originating from Venezuela, critics argue that Puerto Rico should not be turned into a staging ground for military operations in Latin America.

The protests underscore growing discontent among segments of Puerto Rico’s population regarding the island’s role in U.S. strategic military activities, particularly as Washington steps up its presence in the Caribbean.