Related videos:
The Venezuelan Armed Forces inducted 5,600 new soldiers on Saturday amid rising tensions with the U.S.
The new recruits are "revolutionary, socialist fighters" and "deeply chavista, trained under the tactical method of revolutionary resistance," said officials who conducted the ceremony according to an AFP report.
Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendón Vílchez stated that "Venezuela has an Armed Force, alongside the people, merged, trained, and morally uplifted; under no circumstances will we allow the invasion of an empire."
Likewise, General Javier José Marcano Tábata stated that the number of registration requests has increased since the threat of war with the U.S. became evident.
"At this time when imperialism threatens our homeland, our people, and the youth in an illegal, arbitrary, deceitful, false, and arrogant manner, thousands are coming together to join the Bolivarian National Armed Force," the military official declared.
The induction ceremony took place at Fuerte Tiuna, the largest military complex in Venezuela, in Caracas.
The Venezuelan Armed Forces have 200,000 personnel in addition to 200,000 police officers.
On the same Saturday, Diosdado Cabello, one of the leaders of the Chavista regime, predicted a “great victory” against what he referred to as “threats” from the United States, in reference to the U.S. naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea, which Washington justifies as part of its strategy to combat drug trafficking.
According to EFE, Cabello made the statement in a context of political tension with the United States, while Nicolás Maduro's government asserts that this deployment is not solely related to anti-drug operations but is part of an attempt to instigate a regime change in Venezuela.
The EFE agency reported that the Venezuelan official framed his forecast of a "great victory" in that context of external threats, reinforcing the official narrative that portrays the actions of the United States in the Caribbean as a pressure factor on Caracas.
The U.S. argument, on the other hand, focuses on the fight against drug trafficking as the main reason for the deployment in the area.
Since September 2025, the U.S. has intensified attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, claiming to combat drug trafficking.
The offensive has destroyed 23 boats and resulted in 87 deaths, generating criticism for lack of evidence and the use of military force.
The U.S. accuses Maduro of leading the Cartel of the Suns, a terrorist organization involved in drug trafficking to the United States.
Filed under: