Maduro signs decree on security powers in case of military intervention

(Patria) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed a decree granting him additional security powers in case of a military incursion into the country, the country's vice president said on Monday, Reuters reported.

The decree would allow Maduro to mobilize armed forces across the country and authorize the military over public services and the oil industry. Maduro said last week that he would submit the decree for consideration. It is unclear when it was signed. The powers would be valid for ninety days, with the possibility of extension for another ninety days, according to the country's constitution.

The measure comes at a time when the United States has deployed a fleet of warships in the Caribbean, which Washington claims are intended to combat drug trafficking through the region. Maduro's government claims that the United States plans to remove him from power.

The US military has attacked several ships in recent weeks, claiming they were transporting illegal drugs from Venezuela, killing people on board. Experts have questioned the legality of this move.

"What the US government, what war leader Marco Rubio is doing against Venezuela is a threat," Rodriguez told diplomats at a meeting on Monday.