"Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for the unity of the Venezuelan people on Monday and reiterated their readiness to 'continue defending the homeland' during one of the largest public mobilisations at Miraflores Palace. There, he swore in new members of the Comprehensive Bolivarian Command (CCBI) who were selected from across the country to strengthen popular power and community organisation over the weekend. During his speech, Maduro highlighted the challenges that the Venezuelan people have faced in recent times and described the last few weeks as a period of 'aggression', referring to the presence of US military forces in the Caribbean Sea as part of an operation to combat drug trafficking and organised crime since last August. "It has been 22 weeks that have put us to the test, and the people of Venezuela have demonstrated their love for the homeland," Maduro said. He went on to note that external threats have not been able to alter the political course set by his government. "They have not moved us with their psychological terrorism even a centimetre from the right path along which we must always continue," Maduro said emotionally. He also emphasised the willingness of Venezuelan men and women to continue defending their homeland and guiding it towards paths of peace, highlighting the interaction between the barracks and the communities. "We have an ethical professional structure, with its own doctrine, consisting of more than 200,000 uniformed and well-armed military personnel, ready to fight for Venezuela's security, peace and sovereignty," Maduro said. He, however, stressed that his country has threatened no one, saying, "We want peace, but peace with sovereignty. Peace with equality. Peace with freedom. We do not want the peace of slaves, nor the peace of colonies." The event concluded with the official swearing-in of the CCBI members, who will be responsible for coordinating social, security, and cultural activities within their respective communities."