Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he had information that Colombia and the United States were planning a provocation on the Bolivarian Republic's western border and called on all staff of the country's armed forces to be prepared for battle, Trend reports citing Sputnik.
"I have information that Colombia, together with the US Southern Command are planning to launch another provocation at the Venezuelan border with Colombia. All staff of Venezuela's armed forces must be combat ready", Maduro said on Friday during his meeting with the country's transportation employees broadcast via Twitter.
The president added that the provocations served to incite a military conflict on the Venezuela-Colombia border in order to draw attention away from the protests taking place in Colombia.
Earlier in September, Maduro announced large-scale military exercises on the country's western border with Colombia, saying its neighbour presented a level orange security threat.
The two neighbouring nations regularly accuse each other of supporting anti-government forces.