President Nicolás Maduro said at a mass rally in Caracas broadcast by the Venezuelan TV channel that both the Venezuelan people and the military are ready to defend the republic from imperialist threats.
“According to polls, 94% of Venezuelans reject the military threat of imperialism and are ready to defend their homeland,” the president said.
He stressed that Venezuela “has its own professional defense doctrine, with 200,000 well-armed soldiers ready to defend the country’s peace and sovereignty.”
He added that 200,000 police officers are attached to various law enforcement forces.
President Maduro said the country had “endured almost 22 weeks of psychological terror” during which “the people have prepared civilians, military and police to unite and defend the creation of a free, sovereign and socialist Venezuela.” He reported that it was “bad news for the empire” because “it’s not Maduro, it’s the people who are ready to stand up to defend their homeland.”
MNA