Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro declared on Thursday that the nation is in constant preparation for “armed struggle” to defend its socialist regime against perceived threats. Maduro’s remarks were broadcast on state media during a rally commemorating the 67th anniversary of the end of the Marcos Pérez Jiménez dictatorship in 1958.
Maduro, who began his third term on January 10 under allegations of election fraud, warned his supporters in Caracas that Venezuela’s military forces are ready to confront both internal and external adversaries. He claimed, “We are not playing games. We are preparing, permanently, for the armed struggle in defense of democracy, peace, institutionality, stability, and the right to the future of Venezuela.”
The threats coincided with the conclusion of “Bolivarian Shield 2025,” a series of military exercises conducted from January 22 to 23. Maduro stated the exercises were designed to train Venezuela’s armed forces for “interventionist scenarios” allegedly coordinated by both domestic and international right-wing factions. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López reported that 150,000 troops participated in 290 strategic operations across the country.
Maduro emphasized the need to secure Venezuela’s borders with Colombia and protect maritime, aerospace, and land areas. He accused former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe of plotting international interventions and labeled him a “proven drug trafficker.” Padrino López, who faces U.S. drug trafficking charges, added that any calls for intervention in Venezuela would be met with a “strong response.”
The military exercises, promoted as Venezuela’s most comprehensive yet, coincided with the start of President Donald Trump’s administration. Maduro described his regime’s efforts to maintain Venezuela’s sovereignty as a “beautiful” defense of freedom and democracy.
Maduro’s rhetoric mirrored similar actions by Cuba’s communist regime, which is also conducting military exercises to bolster its defenses under the Trump administration.
