Venezuela’s government announces massive army deployment across nation
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez stated that nearly 200,000 troops have been mobilized nationwide for what he described as an exercise aimed at countering perceived "threats" from the US. "Almost 200,000 troops have been deployed throughout the country for this exercise," Padrino Lopez told state television, noting that the operation supplements the armed forces’ routine activities.
The military measures were accompanied by legislative action. On Tuesday, Venezuela's National Assembly approved a law intended to strengthen the country’s defense strategy against US military activities. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez highlighted that the legislation sets "a new way of dealing with the deployment, compliance with orders, the movement of troops and, above all, the conjunction between the people and the Armed Forces."
The mobilization coincided with the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, one of the world’s most advanced aircraft carriers, in the Caribbean, raising concerns about potential escalation. The US Navy confirmed the carrier’s presence in its Southern Command area, which covers Latin America and the Caribbean.
Washington has maintained that its extensive military activities in the region are focused on countering drug trafficking, a campaign reportedly involving at least 19 attacks on vessels in international waters and resulting in at least 75 deaths.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro rejected these claims, insisting that the US is "manufacturing a war" against Venezuela to attempt to remove him from power.
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