Venezuela kicks off military drills amid rising tension with US

Venezuela has kicked off 10-day military drills amid rising tensions with the United States, which has recently slapped new sanctions on the Latin American country.

On Saturday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez inaugurated the maneuvers at Fort Tiuna in the capital city of Caracas.

The exercises are being held to guarantee Venezuela’s independence since new US bans create “an imminent danger for us,” said Lopez.

According to reports, more than 80,000 army forces and 20,000 civilians will take part in the massive drills, which involved the ground, air and naval operations. 

“The participation of the population is intended to be an expression of the civil-military (alliance), in the face of the US government’s declaration that considered Venezuela an unusual threat,” Lopez added.

The Venezuelan president also hailed the country’s armed forces following the first day of the exercise, stating that “we have a military that is the best guarantee of peace.”

If ever “the insolent boot of imperialism dared touch the sacred land of Venezuela, that day if we had to fight for the dignity of our country, we would do it for peace and for the sovereignty and the integrity” of the country, Nicolas Maduro said in a nationally broadcast address on Saturday night.

Ahead of the exercises, Maduro had stated that the Latin American country had no option but to “defend itself” in the face of the US hostility.

“Venezuela must be prepared, because Venezuela can never become like Libya or Iraq,” said Maduro, in reference to the ill-fated military operations of the US and its allies in the Arab countries.

Earlier this week, Caracas lashed out at Washington for tightening the bans against the country, accusing the US administration of plotting to undermine Venezuela’s sovereignty and topple the country’s legitimate government.

“They are considering a financial and commercial blockade, an economic blockade, and the entire country (of Venezuela) should know this,” said Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.

Washington’s fresh anti-Caracas bans

On March 9, US President Barack Obama issued a new executive order that imposed sanctions on seven Venezuelan officials, including former national guard chief, Antonio Benavides, intelligence chief, Gustavo Gonzales, and national police chief, Manuel Perez.

Under the order, the US property and bank accounts of the individuals would be frozen and they will be denied US visas. Washington claims that the seven have been involved in human rights violations and public corruption in the South American country.

The order also declared Venezuela an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security and foreign policy.

On March 12, Maduro described Washington as Venezuela’s “only enemy,” saying it is the United States that poses the “real” security threat to his country and the entire world.

Venezuela and the US remain at odds since late Hugo Chavez (shown above) became Venezuela’s president in 1999. Both sides have refused to exchange ambassadors since 2010.

Washington has admitted that it endorsed a coup that briefly toppled Chavez in 2002.

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