The Minister of Defense of the Venezuelan regime, Vladimir Padrino López, accused the United States this Saturday of a"brutal psychological exercise" against Venezuela, at a time when the North American country maintains eight military ships with missiles and a nuclear-powered submarine deployed in the Caribbean Sea under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.
"While they are exerting pressure, carrying out a brutal exercise in psychological operations, we are here in maximum preparation," said Padrino López, from the country's main military and academy complex, Fuerte Tiuna, where he participated in a training session convened by President Nicolás Maduro throughout the country.
In a broadcast on the state-run Venezolana de Televisión channel, the military chief warned that if the United States decides to attack Venezuela,"all of the potential" of the South American country "will be transformed into national power."
"We are willing to give our lives, and I'm not exaggerating. I'm not just speaking for the National Armed Forces; I'm speaking for all the people," the minister said.
The Venezuelan government claimed this Saturday that a U.S."destroyer" illegally boarded and occupied a Venezuelan vessel carrying "nine fishermen" for eight hours. All of this, according to Caracas, was intended to justify"an escalation of war" in the Caribbean.
In a statement, the Chavista government stated that"the warship deployed eighteen troops with long weapons who boarded and occupied the small, harmless vessel (...), preventing communication and the normal activities of the fishermen who were carrying out authorized tuna fishing."
The occupants, the note added, were"humble tuna fishermen sailing 48 nautical miles from the island of La Blanquilla, in waters belonging to the Venezuelan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)."
Tensions with the United States escalated after President Donald Trump announced that his naval force had attacked a boat carrying 11 people he called drug traffickers and who, he claims, had left Venezuela. All 11 died in the bombing.
Washington, which does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela, accuses him of leading a drug trafficking gang called"The Cartel of the Suns" and is offering $50 million for his capture.
Maduro, who has always denied any links to drug trafficking, described the US military presence as a"siege" disguised as the fight against drug trafficking.
In response, the Venezuelan leader ordered the deployment of at least 25,000 Armed Forces troops to states bordering Colombia and the Caribbean.
He also called on citizens to enlist in the Bolivarian Militia, a military body composed of civilians, to join the ranks in the face of a supposed threat of a US invasion.
On Friday, he called reservists, militiamen, and young people who enlisted in the barracks to learn"how to shoot" and "receive the necessary tactical training" over the weekend.
