Venezuela conducts massive military drills

Americas, News March 16, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Nearly 100,000 soldiers are taking part in massive 10-day military exercises across Venezuela, which were staged to counter an alleged US threat. It follows Washington’s decision to impose new sanctions against Venezuelan officials last week.

Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced that the military exercises began on Saturday and were designed to get the troops ready for “their mission, their goal, and with the will to be victorious.”

Lopez added that the US sanctions are an “imminent danger for us,” which is why the nation’s army must be ready to fight for its independence.

Most of the maneuvers will be carried out south of Caracas. The rest will take place in Venezuela’s oil-producing areas, such as the Caribbean coast.

The nation’s army will also be testing its air defenses and anti-aircraft systems, ensuring they are ready to be deployed.

The military exercises are due to show off Chinese amphibian weapons, Russian-built missiles, and other military hardware.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro praised the country’s army in a televised address on Saturday, stating “We have a military that is the best guarantee of peace.”

“The insolent boot of imperialism dared touch the sacred land of Venezuela, that day if we had to fight for the dignity of our country, we would do it for peace and for the sovereignty and the integrity [of the country],” he added.

American-Venezuelan relations hit a new low last week, after US President Barack Obama signed and issued an executive order imposing sanctions against Venezuelan officials who allegedly participated in human rights abuses. He also declared the country a threat to US national security.

“Venezuelan officials past and present who violate the human rights of Venezuelan citizens and engage in acts of public corruption will not be welcome here, and we now have the tools to block their assets and their use of US financial systems,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement.

In response, Maduro has accused the US of trying to “defeat” and “intervene in” his government.

“President Barack Obama, representing the US imperialist elite, has personally decided to take on the task of defeating my government and intervening in Venezuela to control it,” Maduro said in a national TV address. “That’s why they have taken today’s measure.”

The drills come in the wake of a February visit by Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who discussed military and technical cooperation with his Venezuelan counterpart in Caracas.

Venezuelan forces have shown increased interest in Russian military aid. Russian-made military equipment has substantially strengthened the capacity of Venezuela’s armed forces, according to Lopez.

Russia is actively pursuing defense cooperation with South American countries, which includes the sales of weaponry, the construction of naval maintenance and resupply facilities, as well as the occasional use of local airbases for hosting Russian strategic bombers on global patrol missions.