Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signed a decree granting himself extraordinary security powers in the event of a US invasion, amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas.
The order comes after the US carried out strikes on alleged drug-trafficking ships off the coast of Venezuela. Washington has also deployed military assets to the Caribbean, reportedly as part of a plan by top White House aides to remove Maduro from power.
Though the Trump administration’s plans remain unclear, many in Venezuela, including some of Maduro’s opponents, fear a US intervention could create a power vacuum for troops, gangs, or even Colombian guerrillas to fill. “You kill Maduro, you turn Venezuela into Haiti,” one local businessman told The New York Times.