CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela on Monday accused neighbouring Guyana of “trying to create a war front” when it publicly accused Caracas of launching an attack on a boat transporting election materials over the weekend.

Georgetown claimed Sunday that Venezuela had fired shots at the boat on the eve of Guyana’s national election, claims rejected by Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.

“Yesterday, we saw a statement from the government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana… claiming that Guyanese defence forces were attacked from Venezuelan coasts. They are trying to create a war front,” said Padrino Lopez.

In Guyana, meanwhile, President Irfaan Ali was asked Monday about the deployment of US warships to the Caribbean near the coast of Venezuela.

“We will support anything to eliminate any threat to our security,” he told reporters after casting his vote in an election in which he is seeking a second term.

Washington has deployed warships to the southern Caribbean in what it called an anti-drug trafficking operation. It has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel and doubled the bounty for his capture to $50 million.

The United States has, however, made no public threat to invade Venezuela, which said it would patrol its territorial waters and mobilise more than four million militia members in response to US “threats.”