Venezuela To Start Five-Day Military Drills On Sunday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2019) The National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela will hold military drills starting from Sunday to demonstrate how they can protect the country from an invasion.

The military exercises will last until February 15 and are set to become the most major and important drills that Caracas has held over its 200 year-old history, according to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The drills are aimed at making the Latin American country "unapproachable" as US President Donald Trump has been hinting that a military intervention in the crisis-torn country remains "an option.

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Tensions in Venezuela escalated several weeks ago when Venezuelan opposition parliament speaker Juan Guaido declared himself interim president, disputing last year's re-election of Maduro. Guaido was almost immediately recognized by the United States and several other countries. Russia, China, Mexico, Turkey and Uruguay were among those that have voiced their support for Maduro as the country's legitimately elected president.