CARACAS, July 24. /TASS/. Large-scale military drills of Venezuelan Armed Forces will be held in three stages and end on August 30, President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday in a speech broadcast on Twiiter.

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"The first stage of drills — "Simon Bolivar's Liberation Campaign 2019" — will last for five days, on July 24-28, on the national territory," Maduro said.

The second stage will be held on July 28-August 7. During the third stage, on August 7-30, the military exercise will mostly focus on fighting against criminal groups operating near Venezuela's borders. "We have already had several victories over cross-border criminal activities and drug trafficking. We will continue defending our country with even more energy and more decisiveness," Maduro noted.

He added that over one million people will be involved in the drills over the course of three stages.

The last large-scale military drills were held in Venezuela in February.