The Venezuelan government is training civilians to use weapons to defend the country in the event of a possible US attack, DPA reports, BTA reports.
President Nicolas Maduro said that under the motto “The barracks go to the people“ soldiers have conducted the first training in different regions of the country. He called on Venezuelan farmers to be ready and, if necessary, to take up arms en masse.
“The Venezuelan people told the empire to stop with the threats“, Maduro noted at a meeting with farmers. He said that while the US is threatening Venezuela, the country is more united than ever in defending its sovereignty.
Just a few days ago, Caracas began a large-scale military exercise amid rising tensions with Washington. In recent months, US forces have attacked vessels south of the US that they say are transporting drugs, killing several people. President Donald Trump has accused Venezuela of organizing drug trafficking to the US.