Maduro calls on working class to be ready to defend nation

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Oct 2025 10:36
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged the nation’s working class to remain on alert as the country's "greatest shield" amid rising US military threats.

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A member of the Bolivarian Militia marches in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, September 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jesus Vargas)

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called on the country's working class to remain ready to defend the nation, describing workers as the "greatest shield" protecting Venezuela from external threats.

Speaking in Caracas during the swearing-in of the Promoting Commission for the Workers' Constituent Assembly, Maduro urged unity and vigilance in the face of possible aggression. "If they ever dare, here stands the greatest shield the country has: the working class. Not a single pin would move, and an insurrectional and revolutionary general strike of the working and peasant class would be declared in the streets, until power is reclaimed and a deeper revolution is achieved. My brothers and sisters, consider this an order. The order has been given," he said.

Maduro afirma que usara a los chavistas de la clase obrera como su escudo. pic.twitter.com/UJi8Hy7uAi
— La Dieta de Maduro (@DietaMaduro) October 23, 2025

The president praised the heroic role of workers throughout the Bolivarian Revolution, recalling their role in restoring democracy after the 2002 coup, rebuilding the oil industry following the 2002–2003 sabotage, and keeping production running amid US sanctions. "I look at all your faces, and what I see and remember from these 26 years of Revolution, in the face of each one of you, is pure victory. Victory on April 13 and 14, 2002: the victorious working class reinstating Chávez and rescuing democracy. The oil sabotage of December 2002, January, February, and March 2003: the working class restoring the nation's oil system. Yankee missiles and sanctions in 2017: the working class in 2021 producing and victorious," he said.

Maduro reaffirmed that the working class must remain prepared for general mobilization and national defense in the face of any external threat, particularly from the United States. He added that Venezuela's workers are not only defenders of the homeland but also the driving force behind economic transformation.

Coastal defense mobilization and air defense network

During his address, Maduro ordered the activation of coastal defense operations to confront potential attacks and announced the launch of "Independence Coast Defense 200", a 72-hour military exercise involving the armed forces, militias, and police units at more than 700 strategic sites along Venezuela's coastline. The operation aims to enhance the nation's deterrence capacity and ensure comprehensive territorial protection.

A day before the speech, Maduro revealed that Venezuela's armed forces possess 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S surface-to-air missile systems deployed across the country. He said thousands of trained operators are positioned "from north to south and east to west" to ensure an impenetrable air defense network. "Thousands of trained operators can occupy suitable air defense positions throughout Venezuela to ensure the nation's invulnerability," he stated.

The president hailed the contribution of workers' production councils in advancing the socialist model, countering the effects of US sanctions, and ensuring continued national productivity despite economic warfare. He also condemned disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing Venezuela and reaffirmed his government's resolve to protect its sovereignty and independence.

US military escalation and Venezuelan response

Maduro's remarks came amid a rapid escalation in US military activity near Venezuela. In recent weeks, Washington has intensified naval and aerial operations in the Caribbean and Pacific, claiming they target "drug trafficking networks." Venezuelan officials have denounced these actions as a pretext for regime change, accusing the US of using counter-narcotics operations as cover for aggression.

On Wednesday, Maduro warned that Caracas is prepared to counter any US military threat, noting that Venezuela's defenses were fully activated. His warning followed a series of US airstrikes on vessels in international waters, which United Nations experts condemned as "extrajudicial executions" violating international law.

Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced preparations for a ground operation in Venezuela, asserting that the US would target "drug cartels" without seeking congressional approval. "We're not going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war," Trump said. "We're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country."

Concerns have increased in recent weaks that the US is using allegations of drug trafficking as an excuse for instigating regime change in Caracas.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López responded that any CIA covert operation in Venezuela "will fail," vowing that the armed forces remain ready to repel any incursion, further noting that more than 20,000 soldiers have been deployed in western regions as part of the nationwide defense posture.