Nicolas Maduro ready to declare state of emergency if US attacks Venezuela, says vice-president

"She alleged the US president's campaign was actually about seizing the natural resources of the country with the largest proven oil reserves on earth. It has only one purpose and objective: the reserves of oil, gas, gold, minerals [and] the biological wealth that Venezuela has and which they need for this new era in which the US government declares war on the entire planet, said Rodriguez, attributing US warmongering to its secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who she called the Lord of War."

"Rodriguez said that the state of emergency if activated - would immediately give Maduro special powers to mobilize the armed forces, to seal the country's borders and to place the military in charge of key infrastructure. We will never handover our homeland never! she vowed, warning that Venezuelans who voiced public support for such an intervention would face consequences. Those who openly call for an invasion, cannot consider themselves Venezuelan, Rodriguez said."

"Donald Trump's administration has turned the heat up on Caracas in recent weeks, with a major naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea and a series of air strikes on Venezuelan boats that have killed at least 17 people. Washington claims its attacks are part of an offensive against Latin American drug cartels who are smuggling cocaine and fentanyl into the US. But many suspect they could be a prelude to a broader military intervention designed to end Maduro's 12-year rule."

The Venezuelan government warned it will declare a state of emergency if the US attacks, granting Maduro powers to mobilize armed forces, seal borders, and place the military in charge of key infrastructure. The US deployed a major naval force in the Caribbean and conducted air strikes on Venezuelan boats that killed at least 17 people. Washington frames the actions as an offensive against Latin American drug cartels smuggling cocaine and fentanyl, while Venezuelan officials accuse the US of pursuing the country's oil, gas, gold, minerals and biological wealth. Venezuelan authorities threatened consequences for citizens who publicly support a foreign invasion. Some experts had viewed US pressure as political theatre.

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