Venezuela to deploy 1,000 militiamen to the border zone with Colombia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – One thousand fighters from the Venezuelan National Militia – a unit of civilians affiliated with Chavismo, uniformed and armed – will move to the border state of Apure, where on March 21st fighting broke out between the Venezuelan military and a group of dissidents from the demobilized Colombian FARC guerrilla group, military sources said Tuesday, April 13th, in Caracas.

The announcement was made by the commander of the National Militia, Major General Manuel Bernal Martínez, who explained that it will be a “humanitarian militia force to protect communities” in the region and will be coordinated by the Ministry of Defense and the Strategic Operational Command of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces.

The military assured that the 1,000 fighters are volunteers, have been trained in 22 units and will be under the command of a major general, two brigadier generals of the Militia and four senior officers.

In 2020, there was a reform of the Armed Forces promoted by the controversial and now defunct National Constituent Assembly, which effectively took over the functions of the Parliament, then with an opposition majority. This reform included the National Militia as a “special component” of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), fifteen years after its creation as a “complementary” force of armed civilians.

Under the new law, the Militia acquired special powers in intelligence and counterintelligence, in addition to its mission to “register, organize, equip, train and indoctrinate the people in order to contribute to the security of the nation.”

“War of all the people”

Following the announcement of the Militia Commander, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stated that the order in Apure is that of “war of all the people in defense of sovereignty and land against irregular, criminal, and terrorist groups coming from Colombia.” In this regard, he emphasized that there must be a “war of all the people” in “civic-military-police union” against these gangs.

In addition, Maduro said that the model developed during the fighting in Apure “serves as a lesson to defend the territory against groups armed by the US Southern Command” and the Colombian government, which he believes is behind these attacks.

On March 21st, fighting began in the Venezuelan state of Apure between FANB soldiers and members of an armed group that has not been identified by official or military sources, although photos have circulated showing uniforms with the initials and logos of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas.

Source: DW