ISTANBUL

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Friday that the US is “inventing a new eternal war,” amid escalating attacks on alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean.

“The people of the United States know it, they are inventing a new eternal war,” Maduro said in Caracas.

“They promised they would never get involved in another war, and now they are inventing a war that we are going to prevent. How? By mobilizing the peoples of South America,” he added.

Maduro added that Venezuela is free from coca leaf production and accused the US of targeting his country with exaggerated and unfounded allegations.

The Venezuelan president recently announced that his country had deployed 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles to strengthen its air defense capabilities.

The declaration came amid the US military deployment in the Caribbean, which Caracas views as a direct threat aimed at promoting "regime change."