Caption: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro

 

CARACAS – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday decried what he called “coups d’etat orchestrated by the CIA” shortly after US counterpart Donald Trump said he was considering strikes against Venezuelan cartels on land.

“No to war in the Caribbean…No to regime change…No to coups d’etat orchestrated by the CIA,” the leftist leader said in an address to a committee set up after Washington deployed warships in the Caribbean for what it said was an anti-drug operation.

Trump said Wednesday he was mulling attacks on land after deadly strikes at sea sunk Venezuelan boats alleged to be transporting narcotics.

At least 27 people have been killed in the US Caribbean attacks so far.

After another boat was struck, Maduro on Wednesday ordered military exercises in the country’s biggest shantytowns and said he was mobilizing the military, police and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela’s “mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories and markets.”

Trump has claimed they are “narcoterrorists” without providing evidence.

The US leader accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel — charges he denies. In August, Washington doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million.

The Venezuelan leader is widely accused of having stolen elections last year. (AFP)