Venezuela activates national defense system
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Venezuela has activated a nationwide defense command system integrating military, police, and civilian structures to protect strategic infrastructure amid rising tensions with the US in the Caribbean.
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Armored vehicles drive through a street during a government march in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela on September 23, 2025. (AP)
Venezuela has launched a nationwide defense system that brings together military, police, and civilian institutions under a unified command, according to a report by state broadcaster VTV.
As of Wednesday morning, state security forces have begun guarding key strategic facilities across the country. These include electricity grids, water supply systems, fuel stations, gas infrastructure, food distribution networks, and transportation hubs, the report noted.
Maduro enacts law integrating armed and civilian forces
The rollout follows Maduro signing into law the Comprehensive Homeland Defense Command legislation on Wednesday, marking a significant step toward consolidating military and civilian institutions under a single command structure.
Maduro emphasized that the system is built on the principle of “unity among the people, the army, and the police,” and aims to prepare Venezuelan society to defend the nation “under any circumstances.”
"If it were to come to us as a republic, as a people, to go into armed struggle to defend this sacred legacy of the liberators, we must be ready to win, to triumph through patriotism and courage," he stated.
The legislation is designed to organize the country’s response mechanisms under the principle of “comprehensive defense,” reinforcing Venezuela’s ability to respond swiftly to any aggression amid US military threats in the Caribbean.
Rising tensions with US prompt heightened readiness
The defense activation comes amid growing tensions in the Caribbean region. Between September and November, the US has conducted repeated military operations off Venezuela’s coast, claiming to target drug-trafficking vessels.
In late September, NBC News reported that the US military was considering direct strikes against targets inside Venezuela.
In a November statement, US President Donald Trump declared that Venezuelan President Maduro’s “days in power could be numbered,” further escalating political rhetoric between the two countries.
