Maduro vows to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty as tensions rise with US

CARACAS Venezuela AP President Nicol s Maduro has vowed to defend Venezuela s sovereignty as tensions rise over the deployment of U S warships in the Caribbean He urged President Donald Trump to engage in dialogue to avoid conflict The remarks late Friday came three days after the Trump administration declared U S forces carried out a strike in the Caribbean sinking a boat it claimed was from the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua smuggling drugs to the U S The strike killed people and the American account has been questioned by Caracas Venezuela is invariably ready for dialogue but we demand respect Maduro revealed in a speech at a military base in Caracas None of our differences justify a high-impact military conflict in South America The strike has ruffled feathers across Latin America a region that has suffered the long-term effects of previous American incursions Dressed in camouflage Maduro oversaw a ceremony in which he ordered the mobilization of civilian militias mentioned there would be an armed struggle in the event of any attack Washington has deployed more than troops and naval assets to the region saying the move targets Latin American drug cartels U S authorities have not suggested a ground incursion into Venezuela but Maduro denounced the buildup as a threat of invasion He accused the U S of fabricating drug-trafficking charges to justify regime change pointing to Washington s decision last month to double its reward for Maduro s arrest to million The vague threat of American intervention has long been a card Maduro has played to rally backing in the South American nation amid waning political help