Maduro to deploy 4.5M armed militia members across Venezuela

By Dilara Karatas and Efe Ozkan

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that more than 4.5 million armed militia members would be deployed across the country this week amid escalating tensions with Washington.

Speaking on state television, Maduro said Monday the deployment was part of a “peace plan” and called on the militia members to be “ready, active and armed.”

The move came after the US raised the reward for evidence leading to Maduro’s arrest from $25 million to $50 million, according to Spain's official news agency EFE.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump also signed an executive order instructing the military to be used more extensively and effectively to combat Latin American drug cartels, a move that sparked debate over its compliance with international law.

Two senior military officials told CNN last week that the US military would deploy 4,000 Marines and sailors around Latin America and the Caribbean, which could include the waters near the Venezuelan coast.

Maduro noted that the Bolivarian Militia of Venezuela would be deployed across all regions of the country, without sharing further details.