Venezuelan, Russian Troops Stage Large-Scale Military Exercises

The Venezuelan military is conducting massive air defense and artillery drills involving visiting Russian troops and hardware, the nation's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Saturday.

The 10-day war games have been ordered by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who spoke of pressure coming from the United States earlier this month.

The Venezuelan government has been concerned about US President Barack Obama's new executive order, published Monday, which described the South American country as "unusual and extraordinary threat" to US national security and foreign policy.

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