CARACAS, Sept. 29 — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed a decree on “State of External Commotion” in response to what the government described as foreign aggressions, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said here Monday.
The decree grants Maduro additional security powers in case of a military incursion into the country, Rodriguez announced during a meeting of the National Council for Sovereignty and Peace.
The decree aims to protect the territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and vital strategic interests of the country in the face of any serious violation or aggression that occurs externally against the country’s territory, the vice president said.
She added that the recent U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean violates the UN Charter and already poses a threat to Venezuela.
She noted that if U.S. military forces dare to attack, the decree would immediately empower the president to mobilize the armed forces and ensure the continuity of essential services.
Rodriguez said Venezuela’s Constitution forbids anyone inside or outside the country from promoting, supporting or justifying external military aggression against Venezuela, warning that violators would be prosecuted under national law.
The decree, she added, also enables the government to activate economic plans to ensure national life and the full functioning of public institutions.
Relations between Caracas and Washington have become increasingly tense, with the U.S. side deploying several warships near Venezuelan waters under the stated aim of combating Latin American drug cartels. U.S. forces have since claimed to have destroyed multiple “drug-running vessels” and killed suspected traffickers.
NBC News reported Friday that Washington may consider strikes inside Venezuela “in the coming weeks” against what it calls drug-trafficking groups. (Xinhua)
