Venezuelan Vice President Rodriguez said at a diplomatic mission meeting held in the capital Caracas on September 29, that in the face of the threat from the United States, President Maduro has signed the "external turmoil decree".

Rodriguez said the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean is in violation of the UN Charter and poses a threat to Venezuela, stressing that if the U.S. ¡°dare to engage in aggression,¡± the decree will come into effect immediately, ¡°giving the heads of state special powers to act in defense and security.¡±

According to Venezuelan media reports, once the "external turbulence order" comes into effect, the head of state can order the deployment of armed forces to take over key infrastructures such as public institutions, basic industries and the oil and gas industry, and implement plans to safeguard citizens' safety.

Rodriguez said that the threat from the US "will only make us more united". She warned that if the United States invaded Venezuela, it would do harm to itself and even the whole region.

Relations between Venezuela and the United States have continued to be tense recently. The United States has deployed several warships in the Caribbean waters near Venezuela on the grounds of "cracking down on Latin American drug trafficking cartels". So far, it has claimed to have destroyed several "drug ships" and killed several "drug dealers". NBC reported on the 26th that the United States may crack down on "drug cartels" in Venezuela "in the next few weeks".