Venezuela swears in 5,600 new soldiers as the US deploys warships to the Caribbean, with President Maduro accusing Washington of planning an invasion.
CARACAS: The Venezuelan army swore in 5,600 new soldiers on Saturday amid heightened military pressure from the United States.
President Nicolas Maduro has called for increased recruitment as the US deployed a fleet of warships, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the Caribbean.
Washington says the deployment is to combat drug trafficking, but Maduro asserts it aims to overthrow him and seize the country’s oil reserves.
“Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force,” Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendon Vilchez said during the ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna military complex.
The US has accused Maduro of leading the alleged Cartel of the Suns, which it declared a terrorist organisation last month.
American forces have carried out deadly strikes on at least 22 vessels in the region, killing at least 83 people.
According to official figures, Venezuela has 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.
Also on Saturday, a former opposition governor died in prison where he had been detained on charges of terrorism and incitement.
Alfredo Diaz was at least the sixth opposition member to die in prison since November 2024.
Diaz, governor of Nueva Esparta from 2017 to 2021, had been imprisoned and held in isolation for a year, according to rights group Foro Penal.
The group’s director, Alfredo Romero, said only one visit from his daughter was allowed during that time.
Foro Penal says there are at least 887 political prisoners in Venezuela.
The opposition figures were arrested following protests sparked by last July’s disputed election, when Maduro claimed a third term amid accusations of fraud.
