President Nicolas Maduro has vowed to defend “every inch” of Venezuela from “imperialist threat or aggression” amid reports of a new phase of US operations in international waters.
Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the 200th anniversary of the presentation of the Sword of Peru to Simon Bolivar, Maduro brandished the historical weapon as he paid tribute to the leader’s victory against Spanish colonial rule.
“We must be ready to defend every inch of this blessed land from imperialist threat or aggression, no matter where it comes from,” he said at the event held before thousands in Caracas. “The homeland is sacred, the homeland must be respected.”
Throughout the address he warned of “new imperial threats of the international far right” and said “failure is not an option”.
It comes as the US plans to launch a new wave of operations affecting Venezuela in the coming days, according to reports.
US military forces have conducted a series of strikes in international waters that have killed at least 80 people. They claim that the attacks are against vessels suspected of drug trafficking, and that several of the boats have departed from Venezuela.
Maduro has previously described the operations as an assault on the country’s sovereignty, with critics calling the deaths extrajudicial killings.
“They want Venezuela’s oil and gas reserves. For nothing, without paying. They want Venezuela’s gold,” Venezuelan minister Delcy Rodriguez said.
“They want Venezuela’s diamonds, iron, bauxite. They want Venezuela’s natural resources.”
Cuba has accused the US of intending to violently overthrow Maduro’s government, calling its military presence in the region “exaggerated and aggressive”.
Foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez said: “We appeal to the people of the United States to stop this madness. The US government could cause an incalculable number of deaths and create a scenario of violence and instability in the hemisphere that would be unimaginable.”
Trump does not recognise Maduro as the leader of Venezuela after he won his third presidential election last year amid allegations that the opposition had defeated him.
Last week, it was reported that a top military lawyer had raised concerns over the legality of the Trump administration’s strikes on “drug boats” in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, but was ignored by higher-ups.
The senior judge advocate general (JAG), posted at U.S. Southern Command in Miami, reportedly said the strikes against the alleged “narco-terrorists” could amount to extrajudicial killings and legally expose American service members involved in the operations.
