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<h1 itemprop="name headline">Venezuela Calls for Defensive
Military Exercise </h1>
</a> </div>
<div class="capcredit" itemprop="publisher"> </div>
<div class="vworldtop cont">March 11, 2015<br>
<b><small><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Calls-for-Defensive-Military-Exercise--20150311-0007.html">http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Calls-for-Defensive-Military-Exercise--20150311-0007.html</a></small></small></small></b><br>
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<div class="subtitle" itemprop="description alternativeHeadline">The
country's armed forces along with people’s militias will conduct
a defensive military exercise in light of new threats from the
U.S.</div>
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<p>Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on the Venezuelan
population to participate in a “defensive military exercise”
this weekend in light of the declaration of Venezuela as a
“threat to national security” by the United States. </p>
<p>“Venezuela must be prepared, we must preserve (the country) as
a land of peace,” Maduro said Tuesday. </p>
<p>U.S. President Barack Obama declared Venezuela <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Obama-Declares-Venezuela-a-Threat-to-National-Security-20150309-0011.html">an
“unusual and extraordinary threat”</a> to the United States
earlier this week, prompting fears that the U.S. is laying the
foundation for a military intervention in Venezuela. The
Venezuelan leader pointed to the fact that such a declaration
have been passed prior to invasion of countries by U.S. forces,
including before invading Panama in 1989, the 2003 invasion of
Iraq and the 2011 bombing of Libya. </p>
<p>Maduro underscored that Venezuela poses no threat to any
nation. </p>
<p>“Venezuela is not and will never be a threat to the U.S. nor to
any other country in the world because we are a peaceful,
humanist people, that has international policy that seeks
understand and the integration of peoples throughout the world,”
said Maduro. </p>
<p>The Venezuelan president has long insisted that the threats to
peace in the country come from the domestic opposition <span
style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">and </span>their<span
style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> </span>allies<span
style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> in the </span>United<span
style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> </span>States who<span
style="line-height: 1.6;"> have </span>sought to oust elected
governments since former President Hugo Chavez was elected in
1998. From the 2002 coup against Chavez and <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/telesuragenda/Venezuela-Coup-Thwarted-20150213-0007.html">the
recently thwarted coup plot</a>, to opposition led violence
last year that <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Victims-of-Venezuelas-Right-Wing-Violence-Take-Case-to-OAS-20141209-0018.html">claimed
43 lives</a>, the country’s right-wing opposition and its U.S.
backers have continuously been a threat to democracy. </p>
<p>Following the 2002 U.S.-backed coup against him, Maduro's
predecessor Chavez created what is known as the National
Bolivarian Militia, which is composed of ordinary civilians who
receive military training. Chavez repeatedly stated that the
Bolivarian Revolution was a peaceful revolution, but also one
that was armed and prepared to defend itself. </p>
<p>“Venezuela is not, and can never be Libya nor Iraq, Venezuela
is Venezuela, a land of peace, and we must keep it that way,”
said Maduro. </p>
<p><a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/US-Preparing-for-Military-Agression-on-Venezuela-20150309-0034.html">Analysts
have speculated</a> that U.S. President Obama's declaration is
a prelude to a military aggression, such as those launced in
Iraq and Libya. </p>
<p>Vladimir Padrino Lopez, the Venezuelan minister of defense,
reaffirmed the Venezuelan armed forces’ loyalty to President
Maduro, saying that the armed forces offer their “most emphatic
and forceful rejection of those who wish to meddle in the
internal affairs of our country.” </p>
<p>On Wednesday, the Venezuelan National Asembly <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuelan-Parliament-Passes-Law-to-Confront-US-Aggression-20150311-0006.html">passed
an enabling law</a> that allows President Maduro to act to
protect the peace against recent threats made by the Obama
administration. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, regional leaders from the Union of South American
Nations (UNASUR) are planning a meeting for next week to respond
to the U.S. threat against Venezuela. </p>
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