Santo Domingo. – The United States Government warned that any U.S. citizen or anyone with any type of residency in the United States, should not travel to or remain in Venezuela due to the serious risks of illegal detention, torture during detention, terrorism, kidnapping, unjust police practices, violent crime, and civil unrest.
In that sense, the embassy highlighted that if anyone has knowledge of any U.S. citizen detained in Venezuela, they should contact @ACSBogota@state.gov.
Venezuela’s Stance Towards the U.S.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro incorporated the Bolivarian National Militia (MNB) into the so-called Peace Quadrants – territorial organizations made up of police forces and community representatives – this Thursday, in order to “defend the homeland”, following what he described as “threats” from the United States.
At the headquarters of the General Command of the MNB, in Caracas, the president led the act of integration of the Militia into the Peace Quadrants and the deployment of its members in a total of 5,336 communities, with the aim of “guaranteeing the integral defense of the nation” against the “permanent threats by the United States”, according to the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), which broadcast the activity.
Maduro stated that today there is a “conjuncture of threats and aggression” by an “empire”, as he usually calls the US, which “has gone mad”, despite which he assured that Venezuela will continue “in peace and stability”.
In that sense, it was pointed out that the “militia people (are) defending their right to peace, territorial integrity, life, independence and sovereignty”, and highlighted the “immediate reaction capacity” that, he said, the MNB has to face “any situation”.
According to Presidential Press, the Militia will participate in “patrol, surveillance and other actions” along with “the different security forces of the State”.
He also explained that the incorporation of the Militia into the Peace Quadrants has “the firm intention of strengthening citizen security strategies and improving coordination between security forces and the country’s communities.”
The Peace Quadrants, according to the Government, operate in areas of two to five square kilometers and are tasked with developing “integral prevention and citizen security actions” in the face of “situations that constitute threats, vulnerability, risks or damage” to the population.
Maduro also convened this Thursday a day of enlistment of the “militia forces” during the weekend, in response to the patrol of ships that the U.S. proposed in the Caribbean Sea, near the South American country, to combat drug trafficking.
On Monday, the head of state ordered the deployment of 4.5 million militiamen throughout the country, after Washington increased to $50 million the reward for information leading to the capture of the Chavista.
