"Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez affirmed the nation's readiness to defend its sovereignty against foreign aggression during a speech in Maracay on Thursday, marking the 105th anniversary of the Bolivarian Military Aviation (AMB). Footage captures members of the Bolivarian Air Force performing flyovers and military drills before Padrino's speech. "Do not make the mistake of attacking Venezuela. Do not make the mistake of coming for the people of Venezuela, because the people of Venezuela are ready. They are always ready alongside their armed forces to give the response that must be given," Padrino told the troops. "We are ready for everything. We are ready for combat, we are ready to die," he continued. "We are ready, willing to respond to any aggression against the people of Venezuela, against its sovereignty, against its territorial integrity. And the Bolivarian Military Aviation knows that it must strike hard, wherever it must strike." The Defence Minister then denounced what he described as 'submissive' Latin American governments. "There are submissive governments, you know them. You know, who lend themselves to the imperialist game, to militarise the Caribbean, to turn the Caribbean into a closed sea for their interests," Padrino claimed. "I tell those heads of government from here to stop acting against the sentiment of their peoples. The people of Latin America and the Caribbean do not want war. The people of Latin America and the Caribbean want peace," he stressed. This comes after the United States announced it will 'provisionally' use two airports in the Dominican Republic as part of Operation Lanza del Sur, a military deployment aimed at combating drug trafficking in the Caribbean. Since September 2, the United States military has carried out 21 attacks in international waters, destroying 22 boats allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific. These operations, conducted without judicial procedures or a congressional declaration of war, have reportedly resulted in 83 deaths."