Venezuela has mobilized 200,000 troops for defensive maneuvers. This is a reaction to the presence of American troops in the Caribbean and the alleged threat to the sovereignty of the region.
Venezuela has mobilized nearly 200,000 troops for two days of maneuvers aimed at improving the readiness of the armed forces. This is a response to the “imperialist threat” and the presence of US troops in the Caribbean, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Tuesday. TASR took over the report from the DPA agency.
Padrino said on Tuesday evening that all branches of the army and paramilitary militias will participate in the exercise. He called the US presence in the Caribbean a “vulgar attack on the sovereignty and peace” not only of Venezuela, but of the entire region. The exercise will also focus on combating drug trafficking and “terrorist groups,” Padrino added.
Reaction to the US
The maneuvers are part of the plan of the national defense initiative Independencia 200. It was presented by President Nicolás Maduro in September, when the United States began to gather its forces in the waters off Latin America, DPA explains. Washington says the purpose of its military presence is to fight against criminal organizations and protect the US from the entry of illegal drugs.
In recent months, the United States has carried out several attacks on alleged drug-smuggling ships in both the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, killing dozens of people.
Maduro denies the charges
The Trump administration says the Venezuelan president is the head of a drug cartel. Nicolás Maduro has denied the allegations and insists that Venezuela is being used against its will as a route for smuggling cocaine from Colombia. The American operations have raised concerns in Caracas that the real goal of the US is to topple Maduro.
