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Venezuela puts military on war footing

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said his armed forces are ready to face the US which he called “the most criminal empire in the history of mankind”.

by ADAM GARRIESeptember 27, 2017, 19:40

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has stated that his country is making preparations to resist a US invasion which has been threatened by Donald Trump. While Russia and China have both steadfastly opposed aggression against Venezuela, including during Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi’s time at the United Nations General Assembly last week, Caracas is not taking chances.

After urged for steadfast preparedness on the part of the Venezuelan armed forces, Maduro told the troops,

“We have been blatantly threatened by the most criminal empire in the history of mankind”.

He further stated that Venezuela has “the rifles, the missiles and the well-oiled tanks at the ready” to protect “every inch of the national territory”, before stating that his administration will ensure “every inch of the national territory”.

He then criticised the pro-war rhetoric of the United States in a move which echoed statements by Venezuela’s Foreign Minister who on Monday, addressed the final day of the opening of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.

As The Duran reported this week:

“Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations, delivering a speech that represented the final answer among the nations Donald Trump threatened during his deeply controversial address to the UN last week.

Arreaza began with a short history lesson concerning Simón Bolívar, the fighter for the independence of Latin American states against Spanish colonial rule. Arreaza stated that the lesson of Simón Bolívar is one of unity without conquest. He further stated that this is the spirit which continues to guide and shape modern Venezuela.

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister then turned to the UN, praising the noble goals of the UN charter and calling the rostrum of the General Assembly a place that should be “protected and cared for”. He continued saying that “it is an almost sacred place for people”.

He continued stating,

“The UN has been profaned, disrespected and offended over and over again by arrogant powers who intend to impose unilateral rules (upon others)”

Arreaza then referenced the famous 2006 address to the General Assembly by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who said that after George W. Bush’s appearance, the rostrum “smelled like sulphur”. He stated then, that after 11 years, the same smell remains.

Arreaza then denounced Donald Trump as a man who sought to act as the “world’s emperor”, using the UN, which is a place for peace, in order to announce war on sovereign nations. The Venezuelan Foreign Minister compared Trump’s methods to the abuse of “dictatorial absolute power”. He also compared Donald Trump who heavily criticised the socialist government of Venezuela in his speech ,to the likes of the well-known paranoid anti-communist former US Senator Joseph McCarthy as well as former US President Richard Nixon.

He then said that in spite of the rhetorical differences between Donald Trump and Barack Obama, that Obama offered “different style but the same objective”.

Arreaza then slammed US objections to Venezuela being on the UN Human Rights Council saying that as the only nation to ever use nuclear weapons, it is the US whose place on that body should be withdrawn.

Turning to Donald Trump’s infamous border wall with Mexico, Arreaza stated that the wall acts to shield US from the vengeance many seek to impart on the US after telling lies about multiple wars, including the 2003 war on Iraq which was justified on the  weapons of mass destruction hoax. He called the wall an act of “political terrorism”.

He then turned to the Non-aligned Movement, stating that this movement which Venezuela currently chairs is a crucial body which can be used to counter the hegemonic weight of the United States.

Jorge Arreaza then turned to the unilateral sanctions the US has imposed on Venezuela saying that in spite of their outrageous nature, they will not stop Venezuela from spending over 68% of the country’s wealth on social programs.

He concluded by stating that in spite of efforts to destroy his country, Venezuela will achieve victory on all fronts”.