Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Venezuela has activated a new internal control framework that orders full mobilization of security forces and coincides with the installation of checkpoints, armed patrols in Caracas and reports of the presence of pro-government civilian groups.
The decree, published Saturday, declares a state of external emergency across the entire country after what the government describes as a foreign armed attack -- the bombing by the States and capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
The text significantly expands the powers of security forces and authorizes the application of exceptional internal control measures, including restrictions on movement, public gatherings and certain civil guarantees.
One of the most sensitive provisions of the decree is Article 5, which orders national, state and municipal police forces to immediately search for and detain anyone involved in promoting or supporting the armed attack and to placed them at the disposal of the criminal justice system.
In the hours after the decree, vehicle checkpoints began to appear across several areas of Caracas, with a visible presence of armed security forces carrying out patrols and inspections.
