Storyline: Nicaraguan and Mexican leaders have rebuked U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. Nicaraguan Co-President Daniel Ortega said on Tuesday that the U.S. increase in its military presence across the Caribbean is essentially a cover for its own crises. In terms of the situation in Venezuela, Ortega said that Venezuela is a peace-loving nation that safeguards its sovereignty, and that U.S. pressure on Venezuela is erroneous. He called on the United States to focus on addressing its domestic social issues rather than intervening in Latin American affairs through military deterrence. For almost four months, the U.S. has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of it off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas. Since September, the Pentagon has carried out at least 22 known strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 87 people aboard. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday firmly rejected the possibility of U.S. military action against drug cartels in Mexico. Speaking at a daily press conference, Sheinbaum emphasized that foreign troops would not be allowed to operate on Mexican soil, citing national sovereignty as a key concern. Her remarks came in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated statements suggesting military strikes against Mexican drug cartels. Sheinbaum argued that such actions were unnecessary, given the existing security agreements between the two countries. Shotlist: FILE: Managua, Nicaragua - Dec 10, 2021: 1. Various of national flag of Nicaragua FILE: Nicaragua - Jan 2025: 2. Cityscape FILE: Managua, Nicaragua - Dec 10, 2021: 3. Traffic FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Oct 2024: 4. Various of White House, U.S. flag FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown: 5. Various of Capitol building, U.S. flag FILE: Caracas, Venezuela - Date Unknown: 6. National flag of Venezuela 7. Various of cityscape, traffic FILE: Caracas, Venezuela - Aug 2025: 8. Various of pedestrians FILE: Mexico - Date Unknown: 9. Various of national flags of Mexico, United States FILE: Mexico City, Mexico - June 6, 2018: 10. Various of traffic on road [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]