The clock is ticking for Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro.

After President Barack Obama declared Venezuela a “national security threat,” the Venezuelan leader boldly stated that he would round up 10 million signatures to protest recent U.S. sanctions made against his country and then personally hand them to Obama at the Summit of the Americas in Panama, which takes place on April 10 and 11.

The task Maduro has set up for himself is daunting as he has allowed himself less than one month to reach a number which amounts to one in three Venezuelans.

As reported in Global Post, last Wednesday Maduro claimed that he already had acquired 6.2 million signatures.

The methods used to get the signatures seem, to some observers, to be perhaps suspect.

The socialist leader for instance ordered all Venezuelan schools to hold an “anti-imperialist day” against U.S.-based "meddling” in their nation’s internal affairs.

Some of the activities involved in the event included the collection of signatures of the students, teachers, administrative personnel, maintenance workers and the cooking staff.

According to the Venezuelan right wing opposition party and several human rights groups, Maduro has ordered state workers to join in the gathering of signatures or else face firing.

Maduro has asserted that in the two years since he became the Venezuelan leader, on nearly 20 distinct occasions he has stopped Washington-orchestrated coup attempts made on his country.

Maduro said he believes “that the threat from Obama has awoken the greatest love for what we are doing for the fatherland.”

“History books will recall him, President Obama, as the one who attempted to threaten a people and what he did was lift up their national, patriotic and Bolivarian spirit,” said Maduro, whose approval rating is currently at 22 percent.