Day: October 2, 2025

Venezuela Conducts Military Exercise Amid Rising U.S. Tensions

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced an organizational military exercise involving the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and the Bolivarian Militia set for Saturday, aimed at enhancing the country’s territorial defense capabilities, reports 24brussels.

During a meeting with the Superior General Staff, Maduro reviewed the progress of territorial defense plans, detailing the deployment of the Armed Forces across land, sea, and air to assert national sovereignty. The exercise is described as a necessary “check-up” and will not include any movement of weapons.

The planned operation encompasses the national and regional structures of the FANB, which includes 335 Integral Defense Areas (ADI), 5,336 Militia Community Units (UCM), and 15,751 Popular Bases for Integral Defense (BPDI). Maduro reiterated that these efforts strengthen Venezuela’s “military people’s power,” emphasizing the nation’s commitment to sovereignty.

Maduro explicitly stated, “Because Venezuela is respected,” underscoring the country’s resilience against external intimidation. Following recent events, the Ministries of People’s Power for Defense and Foreign Affairs condemned the illegal incursion of U.S. fighter aircraft approximately 75 kilometers from the Venezuelan coast, near Maiquetía.

General in Chief Vladimir Padrino López, Minister of Defense, characterized the U.S. action as provocative, detailing the engagement of “more than 5 vectors with flight characteristics of 400 knots flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet.” The Venezuelan government responded firmly, declaring that “Venezuela will not accept intimidation or foreign aggression” and reaffirmed its right to national defense.

The FANB remains on a state of alert as part of the Integrated Aerospace Defense System, with plans to report the incident to the United Nations Secretary General, the Security Council, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Venezuela’s official statement reiterates the importance of international law in protecting state sovereignty, while also emphasizing the need for cooperation among regional governments to maintain peace in Latin America and the Caribbean, an objective recognized in CELAC’s founding declaration.