Venezuela launches 'Barracks to the People' Op. to counter US threats
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Maduro launches "Barracks to the People," deploying forces across 5,336 districts to train residents amid US militarization in the Caribbean.
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A member of the Bolivarian National Militia shows a woman how to operate a weapon during military exercises in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 (AP)
During the founding conference of the National Union of Farmers this Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro launched Operation Barracks to the People, which involves deploying members of the Bolivarian Armed Forces to 5,336 community districts.
Maduro affirmed that "the popular armies are deployed to guarantee that not a single hair on Venezuela's head will be touched by the criminal American invaders," stressing the need to preserve "the sacred land, seas, and sky of the homeland, in a perfect union between the people, the army, and the police."
He also pointed out that "the concept is the comprehensive defense of the nation, and within this concept, which is the law of the republic and has constitutional standing, two lines are being fully implemented: the active and prolonged resistance of our people and the initiative and permanent offensive on all fronts."
The Venezuelan president also asserted that "there is no excuse for anything to stop; if there is a blockade, then there is no excuse for the Bolivarians."
Venezuelans ready to resist US hegemony
Venezuela conducted a day of military exercises for civilians in response to a US military deployment to the Caribbean and new threats from President Donald Trump. In the densely packed Petare neighborhood of Caracas, authorities closed the main avenue to host a series of mini-courses on weapons handling and other tactics for "revolutionary resistance".
"I'm here to learn what I need to learn to defend what is really important to me: my country, my homeland, my nation, Venezuela," Lubzi Monterola, a 38-year-old office worker, told TRT.
"This is all about oil, gold, diamonds—our resources," stated 16-year-old John Noriega, who attended the Petare event with his parents, adding, "We will fight for what is ours."
US claims it's combating drugs, its military build-up says otherwise
US strikes on alleged drug boats have drawn attention to a major military deployment to the Caribbean. While officially a counternarcotics mission according to Washington, its primary purpose is seen as increasing pressure on Venezuela's President Maduro.
Several current and former military officials, diplomats, and intelligence officers told The New York Times that while combating drug trafficking is the alleged reason for the recent US attacks, the actual objective is to remove Maduro from power by any means necessary.
Admiral James Stavridis stated that the massive naval presence and advanced fighter jets near Venezuela represent "operational overkill" unrelated to actual drug interdiction but are instead a clear signal to Maduro that the US is serious about forcing regime or behavioral change, marking a return to gunboat diplomacy that may prove effective.
“The massive naval flotilla off the coast of Venezuela and the movement of fifth-generation F-35 fighters to Puerto Rico has little to do with actual drug interdiction — they represent operational overkill,” said Adm. James G. Stavridis, a former head of the Pentagon’s Southern Command.
“Rather, they are a clear signal to Nicolás Maduro that this administration is growing serious about accomplishing either regime or behavioral change from Caracas,” Admiral Stavridis said. “Gunboat diplomacy is back, and it may well work.”
On her part, Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group in Bogotá, Colombia, said, “Attacks on alleged drug boats so far are being read in the region as warning shots that portend the possibility of a further escalation."
The military has so far deployed eight warships, several Navy P-8 surveillance planes, and one attack submarine to the region, with the Pentagon providing few details on the force's objectives and locations beyond its stated mission to combat drug traffickers.
