Venezuela Announces Deployment of Nearly 200,000 Troops

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced on Tuesday that “nearly 200,000 troops” are participating in a new defensive exercise ordered by President Nicolás Maduro, described as the “superior phase” of Plan Independencia 200—a national defense strategy launched to counter a potential direct aggression from the United States, which has maintained an unusual military presence in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks.

“Almost 200,000 troops have been deployed throughout the national territory” for these drills, Padrino López said in a video message posted to his official Telegram channel. He added that “this exercise, in addition to completing, testing, and preparing for command and control, also involves the deployment of air, land, naval, and missile forces of all kinds.”

“We’ve called it the ‘superior phase’ because it includes exercises we’ve repeated before, but now in an integrated manner. That’s the vision, and we’ll carry it out today and tomorrow, when we’ll conduct an assessment,” he stated.

“Venezuela Protected and Defended”

Padrino López emphasized that the exercise “does not undermine” the regular operations conducted by the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, which continues to combat “all other threats,” including drug trafficking, the dismantling of irregular armed groups linked to drug smuggling along the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and “terrorist organizations.”

“The people of Venezuela must know that they have a country that is safeguarded, protected, and defended by the FANB and under the leadership of our Commander-in-Chief, President Nicolás Maduro,” he affirmed.

Earlier in the day, the Defense Ministry formally announced the start of the exercise, aimed at strengthening command, control, and communication capabilities for the comprehensive defense of the nation. The operation involves military personnel, security forces, militia members, and units dedicated to territorial defense.