In a significant show of military readiness, Venezuela formally inducted 5,600 new soldiers into its armed forces during a ceremony held Saturday at Fuerte Tiuna, the nation’s largest military complex in Caracas. This mobilization comes as a direct response to what Caracas perceives as escalating military aggression from the United States.
The United States has recently deployed a substantial naval presence to the Caribbean, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier, under the official justification of intensifying anti-narcotics operations. Washington has designated President Nicolas Maduro’s government as a terrorist organization, labeling it the ‘Cartel of the Suns,’ and has conducted strikes on over 20 vessels, resulting in at least 87 fatalities.
Colonel Gabriel Rendon, speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, declared a firm stance against foreign intervention, stating, ‘Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force.’ President Maduro has characterized the US military build-up as a transparent attempt to orchestrate a coup d’état and seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, prompting his call for accelerated military recruitment.
This external tension is shadowed by deepening internal political strife. The nation continues to grapple with the aftermath of July’s highly contested presidential election. A recent tragic development saw the death of Alfredo Diaz, a former opposition governor, in prison. He was detained on charges of terrorism and incitement, becoming at least the sixth opposition figure to die in custody since November 2024. Human rights NGO Foro Penal, which defends political prisoners, reported that Diaz had been held in isolation for a year with severely restricted access.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, alongside opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, issued a joint statement condemning a ‘sustained pattern of state repression.’ They alleged that these deaths involved the denial of medical care, inhumane detention conditions, isolation, and torture. According to Foro Penal, Venezuela currently holds at least 887 individuals as political prisoners, many arrested following protests that resulted in 28 deaths and approximately 2,400 arrests, though nearly 2,000 have since been released.