Venezuelan army holds second day of military drills

Alsharq Tribune-AFP 

Venezuela's Bolivarian National Armed Forces on Wednesday continued large-scale military exercises dubbed "Independence Plan 200," marking the second day of the drills that include the activation of the country's national comprehensive defense command, local media reported.

According to state-run Venezolana de Television, troops were deployed across several states from early Wednesday under the joint command of regional military and civilian authorities.

In the western state of Barinas, regional commander Pablo Lizano said the goal was to reach "the optimal point" of national preparedness in the face of external threats, while in the central state of Guarico, commander Anderson Rendon said the drills aimed to demonstrate the country's capacity for comprehensive defense.

The military exercises, launched on Tuesday, involved more than 200,000 troops, according to Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

Over the last two months, the Venezuelan government has conducted several rounds of joint civil-military preparedness drills in response to increased U.S. military presence in the Caribbean region.