Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the mobilization of 4.5m civilian militias to counter what he called US threats of war. He said the groups will defend national sovereignty alongside police and armed forces, Xinhua reported.
The move follows Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez’s accusation that Washington is using anti-drug operations in the Caribbean to justify military action. The US has offered a $50m reward for Maduro’s arrest on drug trafficking charges, which he denies.
