Caracas: Venezuela is ready to wage total war against the US, said Socialist Party leader Diosdado Cabello, an official considered No 2 in the ranks of Chavismo.
He warned Saturday that if US marines invade the country, they will never get away, Efe news reported.
His words came after the strategic operational command of the Venezuelan armed forces reported this Saturday another violation of the country’s air space by a US spy plane, the third to be reported this month, which the government called a ‘clear offense’ against the country and the world.
“Once more US spy planes are unduly entering the Flight Information Region (FIR) under our country’s jurisdiction, violating aviation security and international treaties,” the note from the armed forces said.
Cabello said during a meeting of lawmakers as part of the 25th Sao Paulo Forum being held in Caracas, that “we are ready these days, and we say that without arrogance, but if they want it, they can have it – a total war of all our people in defense of our country and our peace”.
“They should know it and do know it,” he added to the thunderous applause of those present in the chamber of the National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela, where the meeting took place.
Cabello also said “it is probable that US marines” will enter Venezuela, an alarm he had previously sounded.
Despite that, he noted that if United States troops should invade Venezuela, ‘their problem will be to leave’.
“Here, 200 years ago, we got rid of the most powerful empire of that time, and we weren’t nearly as prepared or as united” as we are today, he said, drawing a parallel between an eventual armed conflict between Venezuela and the US and the War of Independence that liberated the South American country from Spain some 200 years ago.
Venezuela and the US have had tense relations almost since the day Chavismo came to power in 1999, but the tension got worse last January when the Donald Trump government acknowledged opposition leader and speaker of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as interim president, as did 53 other nations.
This recognition of Guaido is part of a US move that began six months ago to depose Maduro, whom the Trump government has asked on multiple occasions to step aside and call ‘free and transparent’ elections.
(IANS)