BOGOTA, Colombia / ISTANBUL

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday accused the US of carrying out constant psychological warfare against his country.

“We are threatened daily by the US empire — a daily psychological war. Words back and forth. They move a ship, they move a missile,” said Maduro, claiming that the US is seeking regime change in Venezuela.

Speaking at an event broadcast on state-run VTV, he stressed that the people and the military are united at the highest level to defend the country’s sovereignty and independence and vowed to act calmly and rationally.

Earlier, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced that the armed forces are maintaining a full deployment along the country's coast to achieve the "optimal point" of coordination and readiness to respond to the US naval buildup in the Caribbean Sea.

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

Washington says its forces are targeting alleged drug trafficking originating from the South American country – a claim vigorously rejected by the Venezuelan government.