Spanish
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro referred this Monday to the resilience of the Venezuelan people against "the threat and the stalking of the American empire", in reference to the US military deployment in Caribbean waters under the pretext of combating cartels, an action that Caracas qualifies as an "aggression" against its sovereignty and, it assures, aims to control the vast oil and gas resources of the Bolivarian nation.
"You have to see what it's like to be at the epicenter of the threat and the stalking of the American empire and be as we are: serene, standing, enjoying life and continuing the construction of Venezuelan society in freedom, with democracy, as we are doing," said the president on his program Con Maduro+.
In this regard, he stated that "these 16 weeks of psychological aggression, of stalking, have awakened a revitalized, deployed Bolivarian National Armed Force; an expanded, better-trained Bolivarian Militia, and a people who serenely assume their plans and support their military. In Venezuela, the people support their military, support their militia," he said as a comment on the military exercises 'Independence 200', which the Bolivarian nation launched as preparation for a possible direct attack from the US.
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Thus, he asserted that the defensive operations have allowed to confirm that "Venezuela has a modest but important military power, which ensures that the country is respected", whose only desire is to maintain peace.
National power
Maduro asserted that this juncture has allowed the strengthening of the so-called 'national power', which brings together the cultural, identity, educational, institutional, military and economic power that Venezuela possesses.
"That in Venezuela has been growing and consolidating in a measured way. [...] Our military power is not intended to have military bases abroad, to colonize the Caribbean islands, for example. Our military power is not intended to invade Colombia, it is not intended to invade any country. Our military power is intended, deployed and fortified to defend this land, defend the seas and, above all, protect the right of our people in peace," he added.
The real reason behind the aggression of the US.
Since August, the US has deployed a significant military force off the coast of Venezuela, composed of warships, submarines, fighter jets, and troops, justifying these actions as part of the fight against drug trafficking. In that operation, the US military has carried out several bombings against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, which has left a death toll of at least 70 people.
