Caracas,.- Venezuela advanced this Saturday in the training of its militias and Armed Forces against the "threats" it denounces from the US, a country that, according to the Chavista government,
"assaulted" a "fishermen's" vessel with the intention of justifying "a war escalation" in the Caribbean.
In an appearance broadcast by the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, assured that a
"destroyer" of the United States "deployed eighteen personnel with long weapons" and occupied this Friday the vessel, where
"nine humble fishermen" were located in the "Venezuelan Exclusive Economic Zone."
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The fishermen were released after "eight hours" during which they were prevented from communicating, stated the Foreign Ministry, which also released a three-page statement in which it presented its complaint.
The United States maintains eight missile-carrying military ships and a nuclear-powered submarine deployed near the Venezuelan coast under the argument of combating drug trafficking, but Nicolás Maduro's Executive considers this an attempt to promote a "regime change" in the country.
A call for "relentless defense"
The complaint coincided with a day of preparation for militiamen and military personnel in 312 barracks and military units convened for this Saturday by the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuela's Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, who led some of the exercises, called for "implacable defense", as well as "prolonged active resistance" by Venezuela.
Cabello urged Venezuelans to "be prepared" and "fulfill the fundamental task" of taking care of the country.
In this sense, he expressed that "anything goes, except playing dumb" and warned that "whoever messes with Venezuela" will "pay dearly."
A "brutal psychological exercise"
During the training, the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, also spoke, who accused the U.S. of a "brutal psychological exercise" against Venezuela and expressed, on behalf of the Armed Forces and the people, the willingness to "give their lives" for the defense of the country.
Godfather López warned that if the United States decides to attack Venezuela, "all the potential" of the South American country "will become national power".
From "Unarmed Struggle to Armed Struggle"
The exercises this Saturday are framed within the "Plan Independencia 200", announced this week by Maduro to guarantee "the independence and peace" of the country.
The Chavista leader has said that Venezuela is in a phase of unarmed struggle, but is preparing for an "armed struggle" if it were attacked by the Donald Trump government.
The United States accuses Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, designated by Washington as a terrorist organization allegedly linked to drug trafficking, which has been the reason for military mobilization in the Caribbean and the increase to 50 million dollars of the reward for information that allows the capture of the Chavista leader.
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