Maduro raises Venezuela’s military alert amid U.S. maneuvers
November 12 (UPI) — President Nicolás Maduro announced the activation of the “upper phase” of Independence Plan 200, a program of joint civil-military exercises designed to test Venezuela’s ability to respond to external threats.
The deployment includes the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, or FANB, the Bolivarian Militia and police units in all provinces, focusing on Apure, Cojedes, Carabobo and the capital region. TeleSURTV reported.
The measure, announced Tuesday by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, aims to “strengthen regional defense and increase operational readiness” in the face of rising geopolitical tensions in the Caribbean.
Activation of this “higher stage” coincides with: arrival of aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is in the US Southern Command area.
The US Department of Defense said the deployment was part of an operation aimed at “interrupting narcotics trafficking and dismantling transnational criminal organizations” operating in the region. However, the Venezuelan government interpreted this move as a “provocation”.
According to the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense, the new phase of Independence Plan 200 includes command, control and communications exercises, as well as simultaneous air, land, sea and river operations. Ámbito newspaper reported.
The government described it as an “advanced phase” of the plan launched in September and aimed at providing “active resistance and permanent defense” against what it called US pressure and maneuvers.
Along with the increased military alert, the government also enacted the Comprehensive Defense of the Nation Command Act, which was approved by the National Assembly a few days ago.
The law creates a comprehensive network of defense commands at the national, regional and municipal level to coordinate the armed forces, civilian institutions and citizens in the “preservation of sovereignty and peace.”
Maduro signed the law at the Miraflores Palace on Wednesday, citing Article 326 of the Constitution, which defines the people’s collective responsibility in national defense. The President said that he was prepared against all kinds of threats and ordered the immediate creation of new commands.
“If we, as the republic and the people, are called to begin the armed struggle to defend this sacred legacy of the liberators, to be ready to win, to achieve victory with patriotism and courage, the order must be activated to establish, structure and begin the work of comprehensive defense commands,” Maduro said. he said. According to NTN24’s report.
These groups will be headed by the Armed Forces’ Strategic Operations Command, which will oversee the integration, planning, coordination, supervision and control of the country’s defense organizations in support of military operations across the country.
While the government sees the law as a step towards strengthening its civil-military defense doctrine, analysts and opposition figures warn that it could expand the militarization of the country and the political role of the armed forces.
