Venezuela reinforces military force on Colombian border

The Venezuelan government has ordered the military to hold exercises that aim to prevent any threats from Colombia or any of the paramilitary groups that threaten the border between the two countries.

The drills come after Colombia's President Ivan Duque strongly criticized President Nicolas Maduro’s administration. He called on regional countries to take action to help purportedly restore democracy in the Latin American county. 

President Maduro says Colombia poses a serious military threat against Venezuela, not only because of President Duque's aggressive rhetoric but also due to the military support the United States provides for the South American country. 

Maduro has expressed willingness to deploy a significant number of troops to protect Venezuela's border from crimes, including drug trafficking. 

Officials say the reinforcement of Venezuela's military presence at the border is imperative. The opposition denounces Venezuela's military action along the border with Colombia.

Analysts, however, say Caracas must take further actions to stop the flow of Colombian immigrants from coming into Venezuela. 

SS