With a mobilization of ships and millions of militiamen, in addition to appeals to the UN and the international community in general, the Maduro regime has responded to what it considers the greatest threat the continent has experienced in the last century, in reference to the US military deployment in Caribbean waters near the South American country.

Amid the tension, the Chavista government, which declares its territory free of illicit crops, has accused the administration of US President Donald Trump - who does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate president - of resorting to maximum military pressure to provoke regime change.

Below are five actions taken by the South American country in response to the White House's decisions:

Institutional support

The Armed Forces, the National Police, and Venezuela's five public branches of government—institutions accused by the opposition and NGOs of being subservient to Chavismo—have closed ranks and backed Maduro in response to the US's $50 million reward announced on August 7 for information leading to the Venezuelan leader's arrest, a figure double the amount offered in January of this year.

Venezuela, which appreciates the support of countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Honduras, and Iran, dismisses as fabricated the allegations about the existence of the Cartel of the Suns, which the Trump administration describes as a terrorist organization with ties to the Chavista power elite and a target of the military operation in the Caribbean.

Military deployment

In response to the announced deployment of U.S. military assets to the Caribbean, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced the deployment of larger vessels to his country's territorial waters, as part of, according to Caracas, an operation against drug trafficking on its borders.

His Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, reported the deployment of 15,000 troops in the western states of Zulia and Táchira, both bordering Colombia.

Maduro, after learning of the reward for his capture, ordered the national mobilization of 4.5 million militia members.

Enlistment

On August 21, the head of state called for a militia enlistment process, which took place on the 23rd and 24th, and then, in a second phase, on the 29th and 30th of last month, as part of the activated National Sovereignty and Peace Plan. He asserted that the order to defend the homeland has been given.

According to official figures, 8.2 million citizens have enlisted in the Militia, a special component of the Armed Forces described in a nutshell as the people in arms, a number Maduro hopes will increase with the activation, he announced this Thursday, of a permanent registry on a virtual state platform called the Patria System.

International Support

Maduro asked UN Secretary-General António Guterres to intercede so that the U.S. ceases its hostile actions and fully respects his country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence, according to a letter released last week. In it, he expressed deep concern over what he considers an escalation of aggression.

The executive branch hopes to receive support from the UN, which says it is deeply concerned about what it calls the growing tension between the two nations, urging them to resolve their differences peacefully. Caracas has also appealed to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to request the immediate withdrawal of U.S. military forces.

Mobilization

In recent weeks, there has been increased mobilization in Caracas and several states of various pro-Chavez groups, including members of the ruling PSUV party, motorcyclists, and fishermen, along with senior executive officials and regional and local authorities, to support Maduro, whom Washington accuses of violating U.S. drug laws.

The president announced Thursday that the 8.2 million enlisted personnel and what he called a powerful base of 4.5 million militia members already trained for years will soon be called upon to participate in higher-level and higher-level activities, though he did not offer further details.

This Friday, on the first day of operational activation of the Bolivarian National Militia (MNB), Maduro stated that if his country were attacked it would move into a stage of armed struggle, and noted that the United States must abandon its plan for violent regime change in Venezuela and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. EFE