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Venezuelan army swears in troops amid rising US tensions
(MENAFN) Venezuela swore in 5,600 new soldiers on Saturday as tensions rise following a US military build-up in the Caribbean. President Nicolas Maduro has called for increased military recruitment after Washington deployed a fleet of warships and the world’s largest aircraft carrier, citing efforts to combat drug trafficking.
US forces have reportedly struck over 20 vessels, killing at least 87 people. The United States has also designated Maduro’s government as a terrorist organization, accusing him of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns.” Maduro insists the American deployment is aimed at overthrowing him and seizing Venezuela’s oil reserves.
“Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force,” Colonel Gabriel Rendon said during a ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, the country’s largest military complex in Caracas. Venezuela currently maintains approximately 200,000 troops and 200,000 police officers.
The swearing-in comes amid reports of continued repression against opposition figures. Alfredo Diaz, a former governor of Nueva Esparta, died in prison on Saturday, becoming at least the sixth opposition member to die in detention since November 2024. Diaz had been held in isolation for a year, with only one visit from his daughter permitted.
Rights groups report that at least 887 political prisoners remain in Venezuela. Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado condemned the deaths, highlighting what she described as a “sustained pattern of state repression” including denial of medical care, inhumane conditions, isolation, and torture.
The political crackdown followed last July’s disputed election, in which Maduro claimed a third term amid accusations of fraud, sparking protests that left 28 dead and around 2,400 arrested. Nearly 2,000 detainees have since been released.
US forces have reportedly struck over 20 vessels, killing at least 87 people. The United States has also designated Maduro’s government as a terrorist organization, accusing him of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns.” Maduro insists the American deployment is aimed at overthrowing him and seizing Venezuela’s oil reserves.
“Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force,” Colonel Gabriel Rendon said during a ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna, the country’s largest military complex in Caracas. Venezuela currently maintains approximately 200,000 troops and 200,000 police officers.
The swearing-in comes amid reports of continued repression against opposition figures. Alfredo Diaz, a former governor of Nueva Esparta, died in prison on Saturday, becoming at least the sixth opposition member to die in detention since November 2024. Diaz had been held in isolation for a year, with only one visit from his daughter permitted.
Rights groups report that at least 887 political prisoners remain in Venezuela. Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado condemned the deaths, highlighting what she described as a “sustained pattern of state repression” including denial of medical care, inhumane conditions, isolation, and torture.
The political crackdown followed last July’s disputed election, in which Maduro claimed a third term amid accusations of fraud, sparking protests that left 28 dead and around 2,400 arrested. Nearly 2,000 detainees have since been released.
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