Venezuela's Maduro decries 'coups d'etat orchestrated by the CIA'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday decried what he called "coups d'etat orchestrated by the CIA" shortly after US counterpart Donald Trump said he was considering strikes against Venezuelan cartels on land.

"No to war in the Caribbean...No to regime change...No to coups d'etat orchestrated by the CIA," the leftist leader said in an address to a committee set up after Washington deployed warships in the Caribbean for what it said was an anti-drug operation.

Trump said Wednesday he was mulling attacks on land after deadly strikes at sea sunk Venezuelan boats alleged to be transporting narcotics.

At least 27 people have been killed in the US Caribbean attacks so far.

After another boat was struck, Maduro on Wednesday ordered military exercises in the country's biggest shantytowns and said he was mobilizing the military, police and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela's "mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories and markets."

Trump has claimed they are "narcoterrorists" without providing evidence.

The US leader accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel -- charges he denies. In August, Washington doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million.

The Venezuelan leader is widely accused of having stolen elections last year.

Trump hints at approval of CIA action

US President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday he had authorized covert CIA action against Venezuela and said he was considering strikes against alleged drug cartels on land in the South American country.

Trump's comments triggered outrage from leftist Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who decried "coups d'etat orchestrated by the CIA" and ordered military exercises following a fresh US strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.

Republican Trump declined to comment in detail about a New York Times report that he had secretly approved the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela against Maduro.

"But I authorized for two reasons really," he said, before listing familiar talking points accusing Maduro of leading a "narco-terrorist" regime and of releasing prisoners from jails and sending them to the United States.

Asked if he had given the CIA authority to "take out" Maduro, Trump replied: "That's a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?"

Trump added that he was weighing up whether to expand US military actions against alleged Venezuelan drug cartels to the land after a series of deadly naval strikes on alleged drug boats.

"We are certainly looking at land now, because we've got the sea very well under control," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

At least 27 people have been killed so far in the US attacks.

Experts have questioned the legality of using lethal force in foreign or international waters against suspects who have not been intercepted or questioned.

- 'No to regime change' -
Trump's comments come amid a major US naval build-up in the Caribbean that Washington says is part of an anti-drug operation.

But the moves have been widely condemned in Latin America and fears are mounting in Caracas that Trump is seeking regime change.

"No to war in the Caribbean...No to regime change...No to coups d'etat orchestrated by the CIA," Maduro said in an address Wednesday to a committee set up after Washington deployed warships in the region.

Maduro earlier ordered military exercises in the country's biggest shantytowns after the latest alleged drug-boat strike on Tuesday, which Trump said had killed six "narcoterrorists."

Under Maduro's direction, exercises were conducted across the entire Atlantic Caribbean coast of Venezuela, and other military activities are planned in the states on the border with Colombia.

In a message on the social network Telegram, Maduro said he was mobilizing the military, police and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela's "mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories and markets."

Trump accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel -- charges Maduro denies.

Ahead of ramping up military actions, the US Justice Department in August doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million.

Trump has previously said that he is not looking at regime change in Venezuela, while at the same time accusing Maduro of stealing last year's presidential election and being "illegitimate."

The pressure on Maduro inched higher last week when US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for leading peaceful resistance to his 12-year rule.

Machado dedicated the award to Trump -- who had campaigned for the award for himself.

Trump considering strikes on land against Venezuela cartels

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was considering strikes targeting Venezuelan cartels on land, triggering outrage and orders for large-scale military exercises from his counterpart Nicolas Maduro.

"We are certainly looking at land now, because we've got the sea very well under control," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he was weighing strikes on land.

But Trump declined to confirm a New York Times report that he had secretly authorized the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela against Maduro.

Asked if he had given the CIA authority to "take out" Maduro, Trump replied: "That's a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?"

Venezuela is taking the threats -- open or clandestine -- seriously.

"No to war in the Caribbean...No to regime change...No to coups d'etat orchestrated by the CIA," the leftist leader said in an address Tuesday.

Under Maduro's direction, earlier Tuesday exercises were conducted across the entire Atlantic Caribbean coast of Venezuela, and other military activities are planned in the states on the border with Colombia.

In a message on the social network Telegram, Maduro said he was mobilizing the military, police and a civilian militia to defend Venezuela's "mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories and markets."

Trump said on Tuesday that another strike on boats allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela had killed six "narcoterrorists."

At least 27 people have been killed so far in the US attacks.

Experts question the legality of using lethal force in foreign or international waters against suspects who have not been intercepted or questioned.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has said he believes some of those killed were Colombian.

Trump accuses Maduro of heading a drug cartel -- charges Maduro denies.

Ahead of ramping up military actions, the US Justice Department in August doubled a bounty for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million.