Venezuela Mobilises Militia to Resist US Military

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced the deployment of 4.5 million militiamen across the country on Monday, stating in an address that “no empire will touch the sacred soil of Venezuela, nor should it touch the sacred soil of South America,”

Maduro’s move stems from reports that the Trump administration increased naval forces around Latin America and the Caribbean and doubled the reward to $50 million for information leading to his arrest.

CNN reported that last week, the US confirmed that naval movements were ordered to counter drug trafficking threats.

Reuters reported that three US Navy destroyers and 4,000 personnel would arrive near Venezuelan waters within 36 hours.

A US Department of Defence official later clarified that no ships are currently in the area and none have received orders to head there.

“This week I am going to activate a special plan to guarantee coverage with more than 4.5 million militiamen throughout the national territory. Militias prepared, activated, and armed,” Maduro said during a televised meeting with governors and mayors. He described US threats as “extravagant, bizarre and outlandish” and “rotten rehashes” and added, “We defend our seas, our skies, and our lands. We liberated them. We guard and patrol them.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday, “President [Donald] Trump has been very clear and consistent. He’s prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”