Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro said last night that Caracas is ready to move from the "political phase" to the "stage of armed struggle" in the event of an attack by the US amid escalating tensions between the two countries, reported DPA, quoted by BTA.
"We are currently in a political phase," Maduro said in comments broadcast on Venezuelan state television Ve Te Ve (VTV). "But if Venezuela is attacked in any way, we will move to a stage of armed struggle", the country's president added.
"The US government must abandon its plan for violent regime change in Venezuela and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean," Maduro continued, calling on Washington to respect the "sovereignty, right to peace and independence" of the countries in this region.
According to publications yesterday in American media, the US Department of Defense has ordered the dispatch of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to help in the fight against drug cartels.