Venezuelans openly defy Trump threat
Troops teach civilians to use weapons despite sanctions
‘We are ready for anything’ Venezuelans learn to shoot and fight at war drills to defy Trump.
I hope nothing will happen, but we are ready for anything.
Erica Avendano
CARACAS: Venezuelan troops taught civilians how to shoot rifles, fire missiles and engage in handtohand combat during drills in defiance of US sanctions and President Donald Trump’s threat of military action.
War planes, tanks and 200,000 troops of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) deployed along with 700,000 reservists and civilians as socialist President Nicolas Maduro launched two days of military exercises.
In a Caracas military academy, soldiers taught civilians how to use their fists, rifles, bazookas and antiaircraft guns and supervised them on obstacle courses.
“Yankees out!” 60yearold Erica Avendano yelled as she bashed a rag dummy with her rifle on an assault course.
“I hope nothing will happen, but we are ready for anything,” she said.
Trump warned earlier this month that the United States was mulling a range of options against Venezuela, “including a possible military option if necessary”.
Top US officials later played down the threat. “No military actions are anticipated in the near future,” said US national security adviser HR McMaster.
But Trump’s tough talk bolstered Maduro’s oftrepeated claim that Washington is plotting to topple him and wants to grab control of Venezuela’s oil – the largest proven reserves in the world.
Gregorio Valderrama, a 23yearold father of three, received a shooting lesson from soldiers on Saturday.
Valderrama said he was there to learn “to defend my country and my family”.
“We may not know how to handle a rifle and when to shoot, but here we are learning,” he added.
Elected in 2013, Maduro, the political heir to the late Hugo Chavez, has hung onto power despite food shortages and social upheaval.
His grip is largely thanks to the support of the military, which holds vast powers in his government, including over food distribution.
The opposition has repeatedly called on the army to abandon Maduro but so far he has faced only lowlevel dissent.
Military analyst Rocio San Miguel judged the weekend’s exercises to be “mere propaganda” rather than a meaningful challenge to Trump.
She said they aimed to discourage “any disloyalty in the ranks of the FANB, which is a worry for the intelligence services”, and “to reinforce the antiimperialist line”.
On Thursday, the president warned the armed forces not to break ranks.
“This is no time for any fissures,” he said in a speech to the top military brass.
“Never before has Venezuela been threatened in such a way.” — AFP