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AFP
Caracas
Venezuela kicked off two days of military drills on Saturday in response to US President Donald Trump's threat of military action and newly announced sanctions on the crisis-stricken nation.
War planes, tanks and 200,000 troops of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) deployed along with 700,000 reserves and civil militia members as the exercises were formally launched by socialist President Maduro.
"The people and the FANB are defending territory and sovereignty," Maduro wrote on Twitter.
Trump warned on August 11 that the United States was mulling a range of options against Venezuela,"including a possible military option if necessary."
Top US officials later played down the threat."No military actions are anticipated in the near future," said National security advisor HR McMaster. But tension surged again when the White House made good on the sanctions threat on Friday, unveiling its first-ever such measures to target Venezuela as a whole, rather than just Maduro and his inner circle.
The measures ban trade in new bonds issued by the Venezuelan government or its cash-cow oil company, PDVSA.
That could choke off access to New York debt markets and substantially raise the likelihood of Venezuela being forced into default.
Trump's threat of military force meanwhile has bolstered Maduro's oft-repeated claim that Washington is plotting to topple him and wants to grab control of Venezuela's oil -- the largest proven reserves in the world.
