Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced on Tuesday that the government will deploy nearly 200,000 soldiers alongside its entire military arsenal.
Both regular military units and the Bolivarian Militia – a reserve force created by former president Hugo Chvez to honor Simon Bolivar – will conduct military exercises.
Lopez states that the country’s preparation includes the “massive deployment of ground, aerial, navel, riverine and missile forces.” He added that nearly 8 million Venezuelan citizens are also training to mobilize.
The move comes in response to the robust presence of US warships in the Caribbean and Latin America. On Tuesday, the US Navy confirmed the arrival of the US’ largest aircraft carrier in the region, the USS Gerald R. Ford.
Much of US President Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric focused on stopping drug trafficking from Latin America – especially Venezuela – into the US.
Since November, the US military has launched a series of strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
MQ-9 Reaper Drones, manned aircraft including AC-130J gunships, and fighter jets carried out the attacks, which have killed 79 people across 19 operations. Missile destroyers and some of the world’s largest and most advanced aircraft carriers make up the majority of deployed Navy ships in the Caribbean.
Although the Pentagon has not officially declared war on Venezuela, Trump continues to mobilize military and intelligence assets, and has even approved Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operations within the Latin American country.
On a larger geopolitical level, Trump’s ultimate motive and strategy is likely to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, while Venezuela appeals to Russia and China for support.
