“They are preparing a war against us,” Chavez said during a televised address, repeating a charge he has been making for months. “Preparing is one of the best ways to neutralize it.”

Both Colombia and Washington deny having any plans to attack Venezuela, but Chavez argues they are plotting together a military offensive against Venezuela. Chavez says his government is acquiring more weapons as a precaution.

“Thousands of missiles are arriving,” Chavez said. The former paratrooper-turned-president did not specify what type of missiles, but said Venezuela’s growing arsenal includes Russian-made Igla-1S surface-to-air missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

For the past two months in the village of Las Llanadas, in north-western Colombia, three students aged between 14 and 16 years have been suffering frequent blackouts and exhibiting unusual behaviour. Parents and teachers at the Colegio Técnico Agropecuario Guillermo Patrónare are worried.

“We’ve done all kinds of medical testing and [the results] show nothing [out of the ordinary]. Before, they fainted and lost consciousness, but on Friday one of them started talking to a man’s voice. That frightened all of us inhabitants of Las Llanadas,” said José Romero Torre, father of one of the girls involved.

According to the doctor, Torres’ daughter is suffering from psychosis and nerves.