Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro said on Monday that he would deploy 4.5 million militia members in response to “bizarre threats” by the United States after Washington raised the premium For its $ 50 million arrest and launched anti-drug operations in the Caribbean.
“This week, I will activate a special plan with more than 4.5 million militiamen to ensure the coverage of the whole national territory – militias that are prepared, activated and armed,” said Maduro on state television.
The official figures indicate that the Venezuelan militia, founded by the predecessor of Maduro, Hugo Chavez, contains approximately 5 million people – although the real number is considered smaller.
The total population of Venezuela is around 30 million.
Maduro has castigated “the renewal of extravagant, bizarre and bizarre” threats from the United States
“We are also deployed in the Caribbean … In our sea, our property, the Venezuelan territory,” said Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
President Trump's administration earlier this month doubled his bonus $ 50 million for the arrest of Maduro, which faces accusations of drug trafficking.
Washington, who does not recognize the last two electoral victories of Maduro, accuses the Venezuelan of directing a gang of cocaine traffic called Cartel de los Soles. The Trump administration announced sanctions against the group and the administration of Maduro last month.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump Directed the army To target drug cartels in Latin America, a source familiar with the case confirmed to CBS News.
The US military would also have deployed several ships in the South Caribbean, as part of Mr. Trump's repression against Latin American drug cartels. Two sources have been informed about the issue told the reuters news agency These three American destroyers will soon arrive off Venezuela.
An American official informed of planning told the Associated Press that the USS seriously, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson should arrive soon. The official, who was not authorized to comment on military planning, told AP that ships would be deployed “in several months”.
Although he did not specifically mention recent American actions, Maduro thanked those who expressed their support in the face of what he called the “rotten chorus” of threats.
Maduro called on the political basis of his government to move forward with the formation of peasant and workers' militias “in all industries”.
“Rifles and missiles for peasant strength! To defend the territory, sovereignty and peace of Venezuela,” said Maduro.
Last September, the We grabbed an airplane Belonging to Maduro and brought it to the United States, the Ministry of Justice stating that the jet had been exported from Florida to violation of American sanctions.
