Venezuela's Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, stated that the United States seeks to turn the South American country into its 51st state amid tensions over the deployment of the North American nation's military in the Caribbean Sea, which Caracas views as a «threat» aimed at provoking a government change. «We will continue to be an independent republic, we will never be a state of any other country, never, and our people will never obey the orders of a handful of stateless individuals, bandits, and a female bandit who promises to be the 51st state,» Rodríguez indicated during the National History Awards ceremony, broadcast on the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV). The official stated during the event, held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that Venezuelans are their own liberators and are demonstrating this by working every day after more than two months of «incessant psychological campaign.» Rodríguez maintained that the Venezuelan people are building the present to guarantee the future and that no one is willing to renounce what they have received after decades of struggle. «Because when the people have not been in political power, they have been in the streets fighting, they have never surrendered, never. We have never seen them renounce their hope, renounce their future, and today that we are in political power, the people is resolved and determined not to give it up,» she reiterated. The United States' Military Deployment Tension between Venezuela and the U.S. has been escalating due to the air and naval mobilization—which includes the largest U.S. aircraft carrier—ordered by the White House since August in the Caribbean. Washington defends this as part of an anti-narcotics operation, but Caracas denounces it as a «threat» and an attempt to instigate a regime change. President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stated on Monday that a military attack on Venezuela would be «the political end» of Trump, but he expressed his willingness to speak with him «face to face.» The U.S. president declared on Sunday that «there could be discussions» with Maduro, «because Venezuela wants to talk,» while on Friday he stated that he has already made a determination on what measures to implement with respect to the Caribbean country, without giving further details. The new tactical training center in Venezuela Meanwhile, Venezuela's Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, headed this Thursday the inauguration of a technical-tactical training center in the state of Portuguesa (west), with the purpose of preparing in case someone «dares to believe» that it is «very easy to invade» the territory. Cabello pointed out that the center will be permanently operational for the training and education of Civil Protection officials, who, according to images from the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), practiced shooting, rescue maneuvers, and exercises on an obstacle course. On Wednesday, Maduro announced a plan to defend with «heavy weaponry and missiles» the «large zone» between Caracas, the country's capital, and the state of La Guaira, facing the Caribbean Sea. «If they require us to help someone in the street, we will be present there; if they require us because there was a natural, provoked disaster, we will be present there; if they require us because someone dares to believe that it is very easy to invade and destroy our country, we will be present there,» the official emphasized. For the past three months, Maduro has ordered military mobilizations and defense exercises in preparation for Venezuela against the «threat» that it says represents the U.S. military deployment.
