Caracas [Venezuela], November 16 : Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro criticised what he described as "irresponsible" plans by the United States to conduct five days of military drills in Trinidad and Tobago beginning Sunday, CNN reported.
Addressing supporters in the Petare area of eastern Caracas, he accused Washington of pursuing a "criminal war" and urged vigilance.
Maduro warned that "the people of Trinidad and Tobago will see if they continue allowing their waters and land to be used to gravely threaten the peace of the Caribbean."
CNN reported that Trinidad and Tobago's attorney general was quoted by the Financial Times saying the US would "intensify" exercises in the island nation, located just a few miles off Venezuela's coast.
The announcement of the drills came after the US sent a guided-missile destroyer to the country last month for training, a move Venezuela condemned as a "military provocation."
Trinidad and Tobago's Foreign Minister Sean Sobers dismissed suggestions that the upcoming drills would be a precursor to any US action in or near Venezuela, CNN reported.
The drills will involve the US Marine Corps' 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed to support what Washington calls a mission to "disrupt illicit drug trafficking" in the Caribbean.
The Trinidadian government said the exercises will allow US and local forces to familiarise themselves with tactics and enable American training for domestic challenges such as gang violence and drug-related crime.
CNN noted that the US has recently reinforced its naval presence in the region, including deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, America's largest warship.
In response, Venezuela announced a "massive mobilization" of troops, weapons and equipment in the Caribbean, increasing fears that both nations could be preparing for a wider escalation.
Some observers have questioned why such extensive US firepower is required for anti-drug missions, pointing out that the USS Gerald R. Ford represents the largest US military presence in the Caribbean since the 1989 invasion of Panama, CNN reported.
President Donald Trump has said he believes Maduro's days are numbered and that US land strikes on Venezuela are possible.
CNN also reported that Trump was recently presented with options for military operations inside Venezuela, though he has not made a final decision.
Maduro appealed for calm, telling CNN his message to Trump was "yes peace, yes peace."
Speaking to supporters on Saturday, he said Venezuelans were calling for "peace" and insisted the nation would not become "slaves to gringos."
He added that most Venezuelans were "prepared to defend this country with honor and love," declaring, "The strength of the country will always be that of the people and not the oligarchs or the imperialists."
Meanwhile, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado urged supporters of the government to break ranks, stating, "The roar of this land that demands freedom grows and echoes inside and outside the country. Thirty million of us, rise up against a criminal regime that is on its way out."
From an undisclosed location, she welcomed US actions, accusing Maduro of turning Venezuela into "a real threat to the national security of the United States."
In a voice message posted to X for military and security personnel, she said, "History, the law, and the Venezuelan people will be your judges. Be a hero, not a criminal. Be a source of pride and not a shame for your family. Be part of Venezuela's bright future, not the ruin that tyranny created as this day approaches."
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