Alwaght-Venezuela on Friday started national military exercises to prepare the country for "any scenario", President Nicolas Maduro has said.
The drills, in which half a million troops are said to be participating, kicked off as the country faces political and economic crises with the government blaming the US of undermining it.
"Today the Bolivarian National Armed Forces issued a very clear and strong statement, and I have called for national military exercises for the armed forces, for people and the military to prepare ourselves for any scenario," Maduro said last Saturday.
The Venezuelan President also last Friday extended the economic state of emergency in the country for three more months.
Maduro declared an economic emergency in Venezuela in January. The announcement came two days after Venezuela’s oil price dropped to $24 a barrel, the lowest mark in 12 years. Up to 96 percent of Venezuela’s budget depends on oil revenues.
The initial economic emergency decree was valid for 60 days. It was subsequently extended for two more months in March to counter what a domestic and US push to topple the socialist government.
The Venezuelan government accuses the opposition in the country of engaging in a campaign to destroy Venezuela on the orders of their CIA controllers. The Venezuelan opposition launched a recall petition and easily achieved the 1% of signatures needed.
