Maduro: "Venezuela Belongs to Venezuelans"

The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, reiterated this Wednesday that his country only "belongs" to its nationals. This statement was made within the framework of a new defensive military deployment in the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, which is home to some seven million people.

"Each Integrated Defense Zone (ZODI) that is activated sets an example, it improves itself, and thus we improve ourselves day by day in preparation for defense, preparing the popular resistance as active, creative, and prolonged. And in permanent offense, with the initiative. Venezuela belongs to Venezuelans. We will continue to win peace, exercising our full sovereignty, and defending the right to life, to the joy of a people who are building their maximum possible happiness," stated the leader in a telephone contact with the state-owned Venezolana de Televisión.

In the same vein, he described the recent defensive deployments in the East and Center of the Bolivarian nation as an "absolute success," commenting that in these exercises, they are "exercising sovereignty, deploying equipment, and activating the entire military-popular-police force," a pillar of Venezuela's military doctrine.

Additionally, he communicated that this October 16th will see the activation of the ZODI corresponding to the states of Táchira, Apure, and Amazonas, which border Colombia.

"We are moving forward because Venezuela is today transforming into an example. At this very hour as I am speaking, we are an example of dignity, of bravery, of a peaceful, decent, and hardworking people. And we must increase all tasks in the days that are passing and yet to come, all tasks of integral preparation for defense. Ever greater deployment and maximum preparation, with absolute confidence in the destiny of our homeland," he assessed.

U.S. Aggression in the Caribbean

Currently, Washington is carrying out military actions and bombings in waters near Venezuelan territory under the unsupported and unproven pretext of combating drug trafficking cartels. Caracas has described these actions as "aggression" and has questioned the true reason for the operations. Furthermore, last August, the U.S. deployed a large military contingent in the area.

The President of Venezuela maintains that his country is the victim of a "multifaceted war" orchestrated from the U.S. The Venezuelan state, he has reiterated, is the target of an "armed aggression to impose a regime change" and a "puppet" government, in order to "steal its oil, gas, gold, and all natural resources."

Many world and regional leaders have also considered that there is no evidence whatsoever to serve as a basis for the U.S. accusation against the president.