Venezuela’s Maduro Calls For Military Drills After Trump Threat

“We are deeply saddened that that nation, a sibling country that is Colombia, founded under the same sword that founded this homeland, would lend itself to that menace, would lend itself to the aggression against.....
our people,” he said. Maduro is struggling with a faltering economy at home and increasing diplomatic isolation abroad. He has used Trump’s comments on Friday to reaffirm long-standing accusations that Washington is preparing a military attack.

“Everyone has to join the defence plan, millions of men and women, let’s see how the American imperialists like it,” Maduro told supporters, urging them to join the two-day operation on Aug 26 and 27 involving both soldiers and civilians.

Thousands of government supporters rallied in Caracas where they denounced Trump’s suggestion of armed force to resolve Venezuela’s crisis.

More than 120 people have been killed since anti-government protests began in April, driven by outrage over Venezuela’s economic demise and Maduro’s creation of a legislative superbody that governments around the world say is dictatorial.

Maduro said Trump’s advisors had confused him about the true situation in Venezuela.