The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, briefly sang the iconic song "Imagine" by British musician John Lennon on Saturday. "This song is an inspiration for all times, it is an anthem for all eras," expressed Maduro. The event was the swearing-in of the so-called Integral Bolivarian Base Committees (CBBI), which will be tasked with "defending the homeland from any" external threat. Venezuela has been under military mobilization for three months in response to what it denounces as a "threat" from the United States, referring to the naval and air deployment that Washington maintains in the Caribbean. The audience responded by moving their arms, a gesture to which the head of state also joined. The event took place in Caracas amid growing tensions with the United States, whose government he accused of seeking to "bomb and invade" the South American country. According to Noticias Argentina agency, citing EFE, Maduro called from the stage to "do everything for peace, as John Lennon said," after which he sang "imagine all the people". Chavismo denounced that the recent U.S. operation "Southern Launch" aims to "trigger violent actions and sow a conflict," although Washington ensures that its objective is to combat drug trafficking.
