Venezuelan military rejects any U.S.-subservient government, defense minister says

CARACAS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's armed forces will not accept any government subservient to the United States, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Friday during a visit to a military hospital in the capital Caracas.

"The Bolivarian National Armed Forces will not allow a government that is kneeling, enslaved, or submissive to U.S. interests," Padrino Lopez said, according to state broadcaster Venezolana de Television.

He urged Venezuelans to remember that some opposition leaders have previously called for foreign intervention and sanctions against the country.

While acknowledging that the opposition plays an important role in a democracy, Padrino Lopez warned of what he described as threats from U.S. military actions, particularly in the Caribbean.

He denounced recent U.S. maneuvers near Venezuelan waters, saying they have intimidated local fishermen, and called the situation "the greatest threat in a century."

Despite escalating tensions, Lopez reiterated Venezuela's desire to avoid conflict. "We want peace," he said. ■