The Venezuelan leader calls for 8.2 million to join the Bolivarian Militia.
On Friday, thousands of citizens rallied in support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who previously called for a “great day of organization and mobilization of forces.” The day before, Maduro announced his expectation that approximately 8.2 million individuals would enlist in the Bolivarian National Militia (MNB) in response to escalating threats from the United States, reports 24brussels.
Since mid-August, the Venezuelan administration has fully activated its national defense system to counter potential actions from U.S. forces stationed in the Caribbean against the South American nation. In a meeting with officials from the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), Maduro indicated that the militia’s “powerful base” currently comprises 4.5 million individuals with appropriate military training, a number he expects to be matched by a similar amount of newly enlisted personnel.
“To all Venezuelans, entire families who enlisted in communities across the country, tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 5, throughout the day, you will be called up,” Maduro stated. He emphasized that for the first time in Venezuela’s military history, the Communal Militia Units (UCM) will be active in 5,336 communities to engage in comprehensive defense efforts.
Maduro noted that militiamen would later be required to participate in “higher and superior levels” of training, recalling the significant international attention garnered by August’s enlistment process. “Venezuela astonished the world,” he proclaimed, reiterating that registration for the militias would remain a permanent endeavor through the Patria System, a government-operated digital platform.
The Venezuelan leader emphasized the country’s “absolute capacity” to ensure peace “under any circumstance” and to “defend itself from numerous threats and psychological wars.” He asserted, “We are confronting extremist Nazi currents from the North that seek to threaten the peace of South America and the Caribbean. They intend to continue attacking the rights of the peoples.”
As tensions rise, Venezuela’s strategic military mobilization reflects the nation’s commitment to safeguard its sovereignty and respond vigorously to perceived external aggression. The unfolding events serve as a critical reminder of the ongoing geopolitical dynamics in the region and the pressing need for international attention toward Venezuela’s defensive and security strategies.