Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday called on workers to remain vigilant against a sabotage plan orchestrated by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against strategic facilities in the country.

“Bolivarian militia, combatant corps and the comprehensive defense plan that requires everyone to defend their own space, the oil and gas facilities, defending them from the CIA ,” said the president, who attended the day of review of the grassroots assemblies leading up to the Constituent Congress of the Working Class.

In his speech, the head of state of the South American country stated that “the CIA, (to which) they have been given money, they have been told ‘go there’, to damage the Venezuelan economy, that is the CIA’s plan . ”

“ Faced with the CIA’s plans, workers’ power, a thousand eyes, a thousand ears . In gas, oil, electricity, transportation facilities and so on, everyone on the lookout,” President Maduro declared.

US media reported that US President Donald Trump authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela .

In parallel, the Trump Administration has deployed a large military contingent in the Caribbean Sea, led by the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford , ostensibly to combat drug trafficking. Venezuelan authorities have denounced this as a US attempt to bring about regime change in the South American country, which has the world’s largest oil reserves.