Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday called on the armed forces to be "ready" in the event that the United States decides to launch a military offensive on Venezuelan soil during a speech to soldiers.
Nicolas Maduro, whose legitimacy is refuted by some of his compatriots and the opponent Juan Guaido, called the military "to be ready to defend the homeland with weapons in hand if one day the North American empire dares touch this earth, this sacred ground ". The Trump administration is trying at all costs to push Nicolas Maduro to the exit for the benefit of Juan Guaido. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that "military intervention is possible (in Venezuela, ed.) If it is necessary, it will be the United States."
Maduro accuses Washington of fomenting a "coup" against him
Nicolas Maduro, who was speaking to soldiers during the inspection of a base in the state of Cojedes, accuses the leader of the opposition and Washington to foment a "coup" against him. "Union, cohesion, discipline, obedience, subordination and maximum loyalty to the Constitution, the homeland, the revolution and the legitimate commander-in-chief," the Venezuelan president told the troops again.
Oil resources controlled by the army
The armed forces, the central actor of power who controls the country's vast oil wealth, have so far shown unfailing support for Nicolas Maduro. His speech came shortly before the beginning of a new initiative by Juan Guaido who called on Venezuelans to march "in peace" to the barracks to, again, try to snatch the support of the army. On Tuesday, Juan Guaido called for a military uprising, which had finally deflated by the hour. His appeal to the army, however, had unleashed massive anti-Maduro demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday, enamelled of violent clashes.
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