Only 29% of Americans support the use of US military to eliminate suspected drug traffickers without trial. This is evidenced by the results of a Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted against the backdrop of Washington's expanded military presence near Latin America, writes UNN.
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The six-day poll indicated that 51% of respondents oppose such actions, while the rest are undecided. The data also showed a split among Republicans: 58% of party supporters back extrajudicial strikes, while 27% oppose them. Among Democrats, three-quarters of those surveyed reject the practice, and only about 10% approve of it.
In recent months, the Donald Trump administration has ordered at least 20 strikes on vessels with suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and off the coast of Latin America. According to media reports, at least 79 people have died as a result of the operations.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have called such actions illegal extrajudicial executions and warned about violations of international law. Some US allies also express alarm.
The White House insists that the country is waging war against drug cartels, and "courts are not needed in armed conflicts." Washington accuses the Venezuelan government of conspiring with drug traffickers, but President Nicolás Maduro rejects these accusations. Meanwhile, Caracas states that it is preparing for a possible US attack.