Military forces roll through Caracas for ‘Encounter With the People’ amid tension with US

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Dozens of military tanks rolled through Caracas on Saturday as part of a military deployment dubbed “Meet the People,” according to the Associated Press. The show of force came amid heightened tensions with the United States over the presence of U.S. warships off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said more than 5,300 militia units across the country were taking part in the exercises.
He told supporters in the capital that the aim was to “welcome the people in a show of solidarity, brotherhood, patriotism and unity” and to strengthen civil defense units. Soldiers have been moving through neighborhoods, squares, ports and beaches since early morning. Uniformed servicemen traveled with residents on motorcycles, boats and other vehicles. “Here we are in the streets, defending the peace of our country,” said activist Joel Guerrero. “There is a nation that wants to maintain peace in its country.” The deployment of troops is part of President Nicolas Maduro’s strategy of calling on civilians to join the military in the event of what he calls the threat of a US invasion. On Friday, US President Donald Trump said US forces had carried out the third attack this month on a ship accused of smuggling drugs. In a post on social media, Trump reported the deaths of three people and called the ship linked to a designated terrorist organization. He did not provide details on the location of the strike