Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday paid tribute to the Bolivarian Military Aviation (AMB) as the force marked the 105th anniversary of its founding and the 33rd anniversary of the November 27, 1992, military uprising.

Speaking during a ceremony also honoring the bicentennial of Peru’s presentation of a ceremonial sword to Simon Bolívar, Maduro reflected on the 1992 rebellion, a moment he said sparked a deeper ethical transformation within Venezuela’s Air Force. He described the event as pivotal in shaping the force’s Bolivarian identity, its defiance of neoliberal policies, and its eventual alignment with the movement launched by the late President Hugo Chavez.

Maduro said the spirit of the 1992 uprising remains embedded in today’s military structures, which he characterized as firmly committed to peace, sovereignty, and internal stability. He added that the Bolivarian Revolution has boosted economic growth and broadened Venezuela’s engagement with international markets while safeguarding national dignity and independence.

The Venezuelan leader also praised generations of officers and soldiers for protecting the nation’s airspace for more than a century with “discipline and patriotic dedication,” noting that “days like today inspire our spirit to always feel history beating among us.”

AMB’s role amid external pressures

Maduro underscored what he called the decisive role of the AMB in defending the country’s sovereignty in the face of “hybrid threats, attempted incursions and external pressure.”

“Over the past 17 weeks, imperialist forces have continuously threatened to disrupt the peace of the Caribbean Sea, South America, and Venezuela with false and extravagant arguments that neither U.S. public opinion nor global public opinion believes,  much less the powerful Venezuelan public opinion,” he stressed.

Maduro also invoked the 200th anniversary of Peru’s presentation of the Sword of Bolivar, describing it as a continental tribute to Bolivar’s vision of emancipation, a vision he said continues to guide the Bolivarian Revolution.

“There is no threat or aggression capable of frightening our people. With Bolivar at the forefront, Venezuelans have prepared with unshakable calm to defend their homeland, land, seas, skies, and history,” he added.

The president further emphasized that Venezuelan democracy is increasingly rooted in community-level participation. He pointed to the National Popular Consultation and local governance structures as examples of a system in which “neighbors make decisions, propose ideas, plan and build solutions.”

Maduro leads bicentennial ceremony honoring Bolivar’s Sword of Peru

Maduro led a ceremony on Wednesday commemorating the 200th anniversary of the presentation of the Sword of Peru to Simon Bolivar, an emblematic tribute to the Liberator’s victories in Junin and Ayacucho, which sealed the defeat of Spanish colonial rule in Latin America.

The event took place in the Courtyard of Honor of the Military Academy of Venezuela, following a patriotic march from Zona Rental. Senior officers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), military cadets, and large crowds of citizens joined the commemorative procession.

Maduro highlighted the historic significance of the sword gifted to Bolivar two centuries ago, recalling its role as a symbol of emancipation for the peoples of the continent. He stressed that the Bolivarian Revolution “restored this sword to its luster and power,” reaffirming its place as a symbol guiding Venezuela toward “future victories.”

“We are the children of the liberators of the sun,” Maduro said.

“Victors of all eras and all battles, we carry their sword,” he underlined.

The president underscored that the legacy of late revolutionary President Hugo Chavez remains at the heart of the nation’s political and military identity, strengthening the resolve of the FANB and the Venezuelan people in defense of sovereignty.

Defending Venezuela against new threats

Throughout his address, Maduro warned of “new imperial threats of the international far right,” framing the commemorative ceremony as both a tribute to history and a reaffirmation of Venezuela’s resistance against foreign interference.

“We must be capable of defending every inch of this blessed land from any imperialist threat or aggression,” he asserted.

“The homeland is sacred, the homeland must be respected,” Maduro added.

Maduro declared that the nation’s strength lies in the political power built by its people, dedicated to safeguarding peace, “not the peace of slaves, cemeteries, or colonies,” he said, but “the peace of free, independent, and sovereign peoples.”

Solemn oath for the future

The president concluded the ceremony with a solemn vow to uphold Bolivar’s legacy and defend the Republic.

“For the peace of the free, the perpetual Bolivarian peace of Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias,” Maduro proclaimed, “I swear, by the historical memory of our ancestors, that victory will be ours.”

In recent weeks, Venezuelan officials have warned of an intensifying campaign by the United States aimed at destabilizing the country’s political leadership and pressuring its sovereign institutions.

Caracas has repeatedly warned that Washington’s escalating pressure is no longer limited to sanctions or political ultimatums but now includes an aggressive military posture around Venezuela’s borders.

The recent deployment of US Navy vessels in the Southern Caribbean, combined with the terror-designation campaign targeting senior Venezuelan officials, has raised alarms across the region. Venezuelan authorities stress that these moves as part of a coordinated attempt to create the conditions for intervention under the guise of “counter-narcotics” or “counter-terrorism.”

As a result, the Bolivarian government has intensified its defensive preparations, stressing that the nation will confront any act of aggression and defend its sovereignty firmly, collectively, and without hesitation.

Read more: Venezuelans overwhelmingly reject foreign military action: Poll