The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said this Monday (1st) that he swears ‘absolute loyalty’ to the Venezuelan people, amid growing tensions with the government of the President of the United States, .
Maduro, surrounded by other high-ranking officials, spoke to a crowd outside the presidential palace after the government called for a march to swear in new local leaders from the ruling socialist PSUV party.
Tensions between the two countries, including U.S. strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean, Trump’s repeated threats to extend military operations ashore and the designation of the Cartel de los Soles, a group the Trump administration says includes Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organization, have been rising for months. Maduro denies any criminal activity.
Continues after advertising
This Monday, two sources familiar with the matter said that President Donald Trump would meet with top advisers to discuss Venezuela, following his confirmation on Sunday (30) that he spoke with Maduro.
‘Be assured that, just as I swore in front of the body of our commander Chávez before saying goodbye to him, absolute loyalty at the cost of my own life and peace of mind, I swear to you absolute loyalty until the afterlife, when we can live this beautiful and heroic story,’ said Maduro, referring to his predecessor Hugo Chávez. ‘Rest assured that I will never fail you, never, never, never.’
Maduro was accompanied by his wife, Cilia Flores, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who wore a red baseball cap embroidered with ‘doubt is treason’, as well as other high-ranking officials.
This Monday, the National Assembly of Venezuela suspended an extraordinary session to debate the formation of a commission to investigate the attacks on boats. The Assembly’s press office informed that the session was rescheduled for Tuesday, its normal day of debates.
US forces have carried out at least 21 attacks on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since September, killing at least 83 people.
Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced Monday’s session over the weekend after meeting with relatives of those killed. He said the measure aimed to protect families.
