Venezuela rejects the presence of armed groups in its territory

Venezuelan Minister of Defense General Vladimir Padrino said that the South American country is determined to expel any irregular Colombian armed group from Venezuelan territory regardless of its ideological persuasion.

During a press conference with international media, the Minister of Defense detailed the nature of the armed group operating in the state of Apure and indicated that Colombia is now a territory to conspire against Venezuela.

Six members of irregular Colombian groups were killed in clashes with the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) in the state of Apure, in the south of the country, reported the sectoral vice-president for Political Sovereignty, Security and Peace.

The minister pointed out that the operation also involved the seizure of weapons, grenades, ammunition, explosives, military uniforms, vehicles, drug packages and technological equipment containing information related to the activities of the Colombian irregular group.

In addition, the President dismissed the allegations made through some media about false positives, as false flag operations are known in Colombia.  Likewise, Venezuelan authorities described as manipulation the reaction of the Colombian government to the operation carried out by its armed forces in the border area.

"We categorically reject the media manipulations of the Colombian government that pretends to transfer to us its manifest incapacity to solve its own problems", stated the Venezuelan Minister of Defense.

The minister denounced that the Colombian irregulars who have clashed in the last week with the Venezuelan military in Apure state have the support of the Colombian president, Iván Duque, and of US intelligence agencies.

Reading a statement, the Minister of Defense recalled that since last Sunday, March 21, within the framework of the operation "Bolivarian Shield 2021," the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces has been carrying out actions against Colombian armed irregular groups in Apure state.

It is imperative to remind the international community that these irregular groups are sponsored by the Colombian government and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States.  This should be considered as an aggression sponsored by President Ivan Duque, since he provides them with logistical and financial support, creating a criminal corridor on the border with the advice of the U.S. Southern Command.

"Counting on support from Colombia and the U.S. CIA, these criminal gangs are engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of girls and adolescents, smuggling and illegal mining, among other crimes."