Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned that he would declare a “republic in arms” if the United States took action against his country.
“In the face of this maximum military pressure, we have declared maximum preparedness for the defense of Venezuela,” Maduro said of the deployment of U.S. forces in the region, which he called an “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.”
Maduro’s comments come as the U.S. Navy has positioned the warships in the region. After the U.S. placed the ships near Venezuela, Maduo said he would “activate a special plan with more than 4.5 million militiamen to ensure coverage of the entire national territory — militias that are prepared, activated, and armed.”
“Rifles and missiles for the peasant force! To defend the territory, sovereignty, and peace of Venezuela,” he declared.
The Department of Justice previously announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. Officials previously offered a $25 million reward for the dictator. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time that Maduro uses “foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns that bring deadly drugs and violence into our country.”
“He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security,” she explained. “Therefore, we’ve doubled his reward to 50 million dollars. Under President Trump’s leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.”
The State Department has also condemned Maduro’s presidency. “Maduro claimed to have won Venezuela’s July 28, 2024, presidential election but failed to present any evidence that he had prevailed,” the department stated.
