Venezuela offers military training to public

VENEZUELA on at the weekend organised a day of military training for civilians in response to the US deployment in the Caribbean, and amid new threats from President Donald Trump.

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Nearly a month ago, Washington deployed warships to international waters off Venezuela’s coast, backed by F-35 fighters sent to Puerto Rico in what it calls an anti-drug and anti-terrorism operation.

Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has accused Washington of waging “undeclared war” in the Caribbean, after US strikes killed over a dozen alleged drug traffickers off his country’s coast.

Caracas also accused the US of seeking regime change and stealing its oil and other resources.

In the crammed Petare neighbour-hood of Caracas, the main avenue was shut down for a day of mini-courses about weapons handling and other “revolutionary resistance” tactics.

“Tm here to learn what I need to learn to defend what is really important to me: my country, my homeland, my nation, Venezuela,’ said Luzbi Monterola, a 38-year-old office worker.

“Lam afraid of nothing and no one”