Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ready to declare a state of emergency throughout the country in the event of "aggression" by the United States, which has deployed warships in the Caribbean Sea, announced Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, quoted by Agence France-Presse and BTA.
"The president signed the decree on problems with foreign forces," Rodriguez said during a ceremony with the diplomatic corps. It "gives special powers to the head of state to act in the field of defense and security" if the United States "dare to attack our homeland," she added.
A government source, who asked not to be named, specified to AFP that the decree had not yet entered into force. "The vice president presented the document to show that everything is ready and that the president can declare it in force at any time," he said.
More than a month ago, the United States deployed warships to the Caribbean Sea and said it had destroyed at least three vessels belonging to suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers, killing 14 people.
US President Donald Trump reiterated at the United Nations yesterday that the United States was using "its military might" to destroy "Venezuelan trafficking networks," which he said were run by Maduro, who denies the accusations. Venezuela has described Washington's actions as "executions" of fishermen in the Caribbean Sea.