Venezuela deploys armed forces to counter US threats

The Venezuelan armed forces have been deployed throughout the country in response to threats from the US administration, President Nicolas Maduro said.

“Twenty-two weeks of military, civilian, and police training have brought Venezuela to the highest level of comprehensive defense capability we have ever achieved. They have prepared us to defend our land, sovereignty, and dignity and have guaranteed a free and sovereign homeland for future generations,” the head of state said in a video address distributed by the country’s Strategic Operational Command.

Maduro recalled that, in connection with US threats, Venezuela had been conducting military exercises dubbed “Independence 200” for five months, with the participation of militias and police units. He condemned US actions against Venezuela. “Psychological terror has not turned us one centimeter away from the right path that we must follow under any circumstances, nor from the construction of a strong homeland that our people deserve,” the president emphasized.

Washington has accused the Venezuelan authorities of not doing enough to combat drug smuggling, without providing any evidence. The US Navy has deployed a strike group of ships led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered submarine, and more than 16,000 sailors to the Caribbean Sea. Since September, the US military has sunk at least 20 speedboats in the region, killing more than 80 people.

On November 29, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he was closing the airspace over Venezuela. The US media has repeatedly reported that Washington may soon begin striking Venezuela. On November 27, Trump said that Washington would “very soon begin” a ground operation to combat drug trafficking from Venezuela but did not provide details.