BOGOTA / ISTANBUL

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Thursday that a constitutional process will be launched to strip the citizenship of those who promote or encourage propaganda calling for a US invasion of the country.

According to local media reports, Maduro accused opposition figures of encouraging the US to invade Venezuela, warning that the move to revoke citizenship is based on Article 130 of the Venezuelan Constitution.

However, Article 35 of the Constitution stipulates that such a decision can only be made by the Supreme Court and that Venezuelans by birth cannot be stripped of their citizenship.

Meanwhile, during visits to the states of Sucre and Delta Amacuro, Maduro criticized the government of Trinidad and Tobago for submitting to the US.

Maduro accused the US government of sowing discord, intrigue, hatred, and xenophobia in the region, adding that Washington’s goal is to pit neighboring countries against each other to provoke war.

He also claimed that a false flag operation orchestrated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been foiled. According to Maduro, the CIA planned to attack US warships stationed in Trinidad and Tobago and blame Venezuela for the assault.