The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stated that the country has five thousand portable anti-aircraft missiles, made in Russia, to face the North American military threat.
“Any military force in the world knows the power of the Igla-S and Venezuela has no less than five thousand Igla-S”, declared the Venezuelan leader, on Wednesday, October 22, on television.
The Igla-S is a portable missile, designed to shoot down planes at low altitude. It has already been used in military exercises ordered by Nicolás Maduro in response to the North American deployment to the Caribbean area.
Washington has mobilized seven ships and combat planes, claiming to be fighting drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, where, since the beginning of September, it has carried out at least seven attacks that caused 32 deaths.
North American President Donald Trump announced in mid-October that he also authorized clandestine operations by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against Venezuela.
The United States accuses Maduro and the Government of Caracas of leading a vast drug trafficking organization.
Venezuelan authorities vehemently deny the accusation and claim that Donald Trump’s administration seeks to impose a change of regime in the country and seize important oil reserves.