Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday that eight American military ships “with 1,200 missiles” was targeting his country, denouncing an “absolute and bloody threat”.
The United States, which accuses Maduro of directing a drug cartel, announced a deployment of warships in the South of the Caribbean in an anti-drug trafficking operation, and has not threatened the public to invade Venezuela.
Speaking at a rare press conference with international media, Maduro said Venezuela had faced “the greatest threat that has been seen on our continent in the past 100 years”. He added that even if his country is peaceful, he “will not bow to threats”.
US officials insisted that the mission aims to combat cartels and has made no public threats to invade Venezuela.
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Tensions between Washington and Caracas have increased in recent weeks. US President Donald Trump has suppressed drug cartels at the center of administration’s efforts to limit migration and secure the southern border.
Maduro, as well as senior officials such as the Minister of the Interior Diosdado Cabello, have rejected the American accusations and affirms that naval accumulation is a pretext for intervention. “A situation like this has never been seen,” said Maduro to journalists and military officers.
In August, the United States doubled its award for information leading to Maduro’s arrest at $ 50 million, citing alleged drug trafficking and links with criminal organizations.
