Venezuela launches call-up for militia as tensions with US mount

Buenos Aires [Argentina], August 24: Venezuela's authoritarian regime is planning to recruit further people for the militia branch of the country's armed forces, amid mounting threats by the United States over the government's alleged involvement in international drug trade.
Heeding the call, volunteers signed up for the Bolivarian Militia of Venezuela at barracks and public squares across the country, broadcaster Telesur reported on Saturday.
"We call on all the people to close ranks and join the militia," said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. "We say to imperialism: stop your threats. Venezuela rejects you. Venezuela wants peace." The military's militia branch - called Milicia Bolivariana in Spanish - is intended as a supplement to the country's regular armed forces. It has some 4.5 million members. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune