Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López has adopted a firmer tone: he denounces a "serious military aggression" from the United States, emphasizes that Venezuela reserves the right to legitimate defense, and asserts that the armed forces are fully deployed to respond to new attacks. His messages align with Maduro's narrative that the aim is to seize strategic resources (particularly oil) and undermine the country's political independence
Key messages from Padrino
He has spoken of an offensive by Washington against civilian and military targets in Caracas and in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, as part of what he describes as "imperial aggression."
His surroundings and the local press report that even the residence of Padrino himself may have been the target of bombings, reinforcing the narrative that the high military command is under direct external attack
In videos and statements shared on social media, Padrino warns that Venezuela is "fully capable of defending itself" and that any new action by the United States will be met with a response within the framework of national defense and Article 51 of the UN Charter
Military orders and measures
The government has declared a “national state of emergency” or “state of external shock,” which allows Padrino to coordinate internal deployments, reinforce facilities such as Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota, and prepare a prolonged response
Political speech and propaganda line
The Ministry of Defense and the rest of the government insist that the "only objective" of the attacks is to seize Venezuelan resources—oil and minerals—and forcibly overthrow Maduro, a situation that Padrino links to the previous campaign of sanctions and drug trafficking accusations from Washington
In line with the official statement, the minister calls for "popular mobilization," urging "all social and political forces" to take to the streets, condemn the aggression, and stand united with the Bolivarian National Armed Forces against the United States
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