War talk by the crisis-hit South American regime — which is backed by Vladimir Putin — raises the spectre of a proxy conflict on the doorstep of the United States
VENEZUELA’S embattled regime has promised its troops are “ready to destroy any army” in a thinly veiled threat against any American intervention to topple tyrant Nicolás Maduro.
The comments were made by the stricken South America’s foreign minister during crisis talks in Russia which backs the crumbling socialist state.
It also comes in the wake of comments made by the US backed opposition leader Juan Guaid confirmed he’s considering the possibility of accepting after his coup attempt last week stalled.
He has not yet given up on spurring a military uprising against Moscow-backed Maduro, whose hard left regime has turned South America's richest country into its poorest.
But Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said: "We are prepared for any scenario.
“If [the US] prefers the military path, we are ready to resist — we have an army, police, our people, and we are ready to destroy any army, no matter how powerful it is.”
The bid to oust the socialist president comes as Venezuela goes into meltdown.
Its once prosperous people are angry because while their country has the largest oil reserves in the world, it suffers from chronic food and medicine shortages plus crippling power blackouts.
Meanwhile hyper-inflation has rendered their currency and people’s savings worthless.
The US-backed Guaido declared himself interim president in January, claiming Maduro's re-election last year was rigged.
He claims this was part of a series of increasingly authoritarian steps since he replaced the late socialist firebrand Hugo Chevez in 2013 as president.
All this has sparked months of demonstrations.
But last week’s large scale demonstrations were the most dramatic development so far and suggests a full scale civil war could about break out which could turn into a proxy war between Washington and Moscow on the very doorstep of the United States.
We have an army, police, our people, and we are ready to destroy any army, no matter how powerful it is
Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza
Horrific scenes were beamed across the road showing the brutal suppression of the anti-regime protesters which include armoured cars running down anyone in their way.
But Maduro argues US sanctions aimed at forcing him from power are taking a toll on the economy.
What's more his government has accused Guaid of fomenting violence when he appealed to the military last week to switch sides to the opposition.
The armed forces did not heed the call, and those killed in ensuing clashes between police and protesters on Tuesday and Wednesday included two teenage boys.
Maduro's government has not moved to arrest Guaid, possibly reflecting its own weakness in the face of intense US pressure not to move against the opposition leader.
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