Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. (Source: TASS)

At the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security, Mr. Padrino López gave an online speech, noting that the US has always destabilized the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to the head of the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense, the main threat to security and peace in Latin America today is the actions taken by the United States at the political, economic and military levels “to maintain its hegemony, which is already in decline.”

In addition, this official also revealed that in 2023, the US conducted a total of 11 military exercises in the region through the Southern Command, and accused Washington of increasing military activities to make Latin America continue to depend on this country.

Previously, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said that the US was implementing a new plan to destabilize the region.

Accordingly, Mr. Maduro ordered the entire Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to maintain national unity and prioritize peacekeeping in the context of the Venezuelan presidential election scheduled to take place in 2024.