By Michael Rios, CNN(CNN) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he is preparing to declare a state of emergency to protect his country in the event of an attack by the US military, amid rising tensions over the deployment of American warships to the Caribbean. Earlier Monday, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the declaration would grant Maduro special powers in the event of a US military incursion. Maduro, Rodríguez said, could also close land, sea and air borders, as well as “activate all kinds of economic, political and social plans” to guarantee national security. The Venezuelan military has also been conducting training exercises in local neighborhoods, teaching militias to handle weapons and protect their communities from foreign threats. “We are preparing along three lines: the comprehensive defense of the nation, the active resistance of the people, and the permanent offensive of an entire country,” Maduro recently said.