Historic Defense Summit in the Western Hemisphere

Top defense officials from 34 countries will gather in February for the first Western Hemisphere Chiefs of Defense Conference to discuss regional security and stability. This meeting follows the U.S. military action in Venezuela. Leaders from Denmark, Britain, and France with territorial interests in the area are invited.

Defense officials representing 34 nations will convene in February to deliberate on shared security priorities in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. military's announcement comes on the heels of their involvement in the ousting of Venezuela's leader.

The inaugural Western Hemisphere Chiefs of Defense Conference, scheduled for February 11, will be directed by Dan Caine, the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dignitaries from Denmark, Britain, and France with stakes in the region are among the invitees, according to reports from the New York Times.

The U.S. military intervention in January, which saw President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela deposed, marks Washington's most significant engagement in Latin America since the 1989 Panama invasion.

(With inputs from agencies.)