Caracas (EFE).- Maduro called on Saturday on six eastern regions to hold a vigil and permanent march in response to the resumption of United States military exercises in Trinidad and Tobago amid growing tensions between Caracas and Washington.
At a rally in Caracas, Maduro called on “all popular, social, political, military, and police forces” to “not fall for provocations at any time” and to “mobilize with patriotic fervor” in rejection of “imperialist ships,” “military threats,” and what he described as “irresponsible exercises” in Trinidadian waters.
The Venezuelan head of state called on the states of Bolívar (which borders Brazil), Delta Amacuro, Monagas, Anzoátegui, Nueva Esparta (an island state), and Sucre (near the island of Trinidad) to mobilize “in perfect popular-military-police fusion” and “with the flag of Venezuela held high.”
“The government of Trinidad and Tobago has once again announced irresponsible exercises, using its waters in front of the coast of the state of Sucre for military exercises that intend to threaten a republic like Venezuela, which will not permit itself to be threatened by anyone,” Maduro said.
Furthermore, the Venezuelan leader reiterated his call to the people, especially the youth of the US, to “stop the maddened minds and hands that want to lead “the North American country to “a criminal war in South America and throughout the Caribbean.”
“The government of the US intends to bomb and invade our people, the Christian people. What is that? Do you want to kill Christians here in South America?” added the head of state, who led an oath-taking ceremony for the Bolivarian Integral Base Committees (CBBI).
As of Friday, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sean Sobers, confirmed that the US Navy will return to the Caribbean territory to continue its military exercises with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF).
Sobers’s announcement follows that of Trinidadian Attorney General John Jeremie, who announced on Thursday that the Marine Expeditionary Unit 22’s military personnel will intensify their drills in Trinidad and Tobago from Sunday until Friday, Nov. 21.
For three months now, Venezuela has been in a state of permanent military mobilization throughout its territory in response to what it denounces as a “threat” from the US, which refers to the naval and air deployment that Washington has maintained in the Caribbean near the South American nation since August.
On Saturday, Venezuela denounced the US for seeking to “unleash violent actions and sow conflict” in the Caribbean with the “Southern Spear” military operation, which Washington announced on Thursday under the pretext of combating drug trafficking from Latin America, an increase in pressure from the Donald Trump administration on Venezuela and Colombia. EFE
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