Venezuela is deploying troops along the Caribbean coast and mobilising what President Nicolás Maduro claims is a militia numbering in the millions. The move signals defiance against the largest US military presence in the Caribbean since the 1980s, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
State media has amplified Maduro’s message, portraying the US as a rapacious, Nazi-like power seeking control of Venezuela’s oil resources. Announcers on television, radio, and social media platforms have emphasised that the National Bolivarian Armed Forces are prepared to repel any invasion, WSJ reports.
Militia and armed forces on display
Footage shows Venezuelan militia members of varying ages navigating obstacle courses, firing rifles, and performing training exercises. The country’s regular armed forces, numbering around 125,000 on paper, were seen marching in formation, moving munitions, and mounting Russian-made jet fighters.
“The people are ready for combat, ready for battle,” Maduro had told supporters earlier this month. The president has also encouraged recruitment from indigenous communities and called on civilian militias to prepare for possible confrontations with American forces.
Hellbound and Down 