Venezuelan President Orders Military to Conduct Anti-Invasion Drills

Venezuelan soldiers in a parade. Photo:RT

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced yesterday that the country's military will hold large-scale military exercises from February 10 to February 15. During the exercises, Venezuelan soldiers will practice repelling a hypothetical invasion and improve their combat skills to protect the country's territory and territorial waters, according toRT.

"The armed forces will make our country inviolable. The Venezuelan army has reached the highest level of professionalism, capable of resisting any invading enemy. We must be prepared to defend Venezuela in any situation," Maduro stressed.

Maduro's statement came amid a turning point in Venezuela's years-long economic and political crisis on January 23, when emerging opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself "interim president" and was quickly recognized by the US and many other countries.

US President Donald Trump's declaration of support for Guaido has raised concerns that the US and its allies may intervene militarily in Venezuela's internal affairs. However, the Venezuelan military remains absolutely loyal to President Maduro and has vowed to protect him to the end.

Figures from Global Fire Power (GFP), a US-based organization that assesses the military strength of countries around the world, show that Venezuela has the 46th strongest armed force in the world.

Venezuelan generals command approximately 515,000 active-duty soldiers in the navy, army, air force, and National Guard. The Venezuelan National Guard, with approximately 70,000 members, is a military force but performs police functions, including suppressing and dispersing protests and riots.

In addition to the regular forces, Venezuela also has more than 500,000 armed militias along with the President's bodyguard and military intelligence.