When Edith Perales was younger, he enlisted in the National Bolivarian Militia, a civilian force created by the late President Hugo Chávez in 2009 to help defend Venezuela.
We have to be a country capable of defending every last inch of our territory so no one comes to mess with us, Chávez said at the time.
Sixteen years on, Perales, who is now 68, is joining thousands of other militia members getting ready for a potential US attack.
The rag-tag force, mainly made up of senior citizens, has been called up following the deployment of US navy ships in the South Caribbean on what US officials said were counter-narcotics operations.
The US force has destroyed at least three boats it said were carrying drugs from Venezuela to the US, killing at least 17 people on board.
Venezuela's defence minister, Vladimir Padrino, said the attacks and the US naval deployment amounted to a non-declared war by the US against Venezuela, prompting President Nicolás Maduro to swiftly call the militia into active duty.
Perales has got his uniform and boots at hand, ready to defend his bastion – the Caracas neighbourhood where he lives. A loyal government supporter, he says he is ready to serve whenever they call me.
Meanwhile, Maduro has ordered the Venezuelan military to train local militias like the one to which Perales belongs. These groups are mostly made up of volunteers from poor communities, although public sector workers have reported being pressured into joining them as well.
While experts have told the BBC that the deployment of US naval forces is large, they have also pointed out that it is not large enough to suggest that it is part of a planned invasion.
But presumably jittery in the face of what it perceives as a US threat, Maduro's government is now training up the militia.
On a Saturday afternoon, soldiers fan out in Caracas' Petare neighbourhood to fulfil Maduro's order that the barracks come to the people.
The training scenario includes tanks, Russian-made rifles - not loaded - and instruction posters, aimed to familiarize locals with military equipment.
The enthusiasm among militia members is palpable, as many declare their commitment to defend their homeland. However, life continues unaffected in other parts of Caracas, as normal activities proceed without concern for the ongoing military preparation.
Political analysts suggest that the government's strategy in mobilizing civilians could be more about preventing US military action than preparing for actual combat, highlighting the deepening crisis in Venezuela's relationship with the United States.
