CARACAS — The Venezuelan Parliament has approved a law giving President Nicolas Maduro the power to legislate by decree for nine months in the face of what he described as threats by the US government.
The so-called ‘‘anti-imperialist’’ law was passed Sunday and will be in effect from the time it is published in Venezuela’s Official Gazette until Dec. 31.
Maduro requested the expanded powers in response to new US sanctions on Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations. Critics of Venezuela’s government have called the move a power grab.
The United States is targeting officials in the top echelon of Venezuela’s security apparatus responsible for cracking down on last year’s antigovernment protests and for pursuing charges against opponents.
The officials will be denied US visas and have their US assets frozen.
The leaders of South America’s leftist governments have come out in support of Venezuela, while Washington has denied Maduro’s claim that it is seeking to undermine his government and urged him to focus on Venezuela’s domestic problems, including food shortages and soaring inflation.
On Saturday, Venezuelan soldiers rolled out shoulder-fired missiles, fighter planes, and armored trucks to begin 10 days of military exercises that Maduro said are needed to protect against the US threat.
As nearly 100,000 members of the armed forces began conducting exercises across the country, Venezuela’s government got support from South American nations, which criticized Washington for the way it imposed sanctions on Venezuelan leaders.
The Obama administration imposed the sanctions last week on several Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations and declared the country a threat to US national security, a formality that generally precedes declarations of sanctions.
Maduro said he would take steps to protect Venezuela from a hostile US government.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez inaugurated the exercises at Fort Tiuna in Caracas, the largest military installation in Venezuela.
He said US sanctions constitute ‘‘an imminent danger for us’’ and the armed forces must ready themselves to ensure the country’s independence.
In a nationally broadcast talk, Maduro praised the skills shown by the armed forces on the first day of the exercises, saying that ‘‘we have a military that is the best guarantee of peace.’’
If ever, he added, ‘‘the insolent boot of imperialism dared touch the sacred land of Venezuela, that day if we had to fight for the dignity of our country, we would do it for peace and for the sovereignty and the integrity’’ of the country.