Maduro orders military drill after Trump threat

CARACAS: Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Monday ordered his armed forces to carry out a national exercise next week in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat of possible military action.

armed forces’ joint chiefs of staff to start preparations for a na the integrated armed defense of the Venezuelan nation,” he told - racas rally.

26 and 27, he said.

seized on Trump’s warning last Friday that he was looking at a range of scenarios against Venezuela, “including a possible military option if necessary.”

Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino called it had “dropped its mask” in terms of wanting to attack his country.

The Maduro administration says Trump’s words bolster its oft-repeated claim that Washington has designs to grab control of the largest in the world.

The threat, made in response to Venezuela’s deepening economic what the US labels a “dictatorship,” has been rebuffed by all opposed to Venezuela.

The Pentagon said it had re ready any sort of military action against Venezuela.

US Vice President Mike Pence, - ica to marshall joint action against stood—but he hoped a “peaceable solution” would be found.

‘ Yankee go home!’

front of Maduro took up the president’s exhortations against the United States with cries of “Yankee go home!”

“defend the country with tanks, planes, missiles.”

Russia, reportedly bought Russian anti-aircraft defenses and tanks years ago, under Maduro’s prede

- ela becoming a “failed state.”

“We will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles, but it’s important to note, as the president said, that a failed state in Venezuela threatens the security and prosperity of the hemisphere,” Pence told reporters

that Venezuela risked becoming “a greater problem for narcotics traf of which he said directly threatened the security and economy of the US.

On Sunday, Pence stood by Trump’s threat of possible military action, saying the US president “says what he means and means what he says.”

But he expressed hope a “peaceable solution” could be found.

- uel Santos, who has led criticism of -

- plomacy and the propping up of military dictators.

coalition on Sunday rejected “the use of force, or the threat of apply against Venezuela.”

Venezuelan troops in different fatigues and carrying various weapons attend the press conference given by Defense Minister general Vladimir Padrino Lopez at Fort Tiuna in Caracas on Monday ( Tuesday in Manila).