Pro-Government Militias
Documentation for Bolivarian Militia
Aug. 6, 2008 Noticias Financieras
This worries the opposition, who see them as “armed adversaries”; because “the current political dynamics have led the term 'Bolivarian' to be seen as a synonym of 'Chavista'” said former socialist leader Teodoro Petkoff, an outspoken critic of the Chávez administration.
In addition, the armed forces command is separated from the Defence Ministry, which will now only be in charge of administrative questions, and put in the hands of a pyramidal structure headed up by the commander-in-chief, the president.
Aug. 7, 2008 The Washington Post
But now Mr. Chavez has unveiled a package of presidential decrees that will do by fiat most of what the voters refused to authorize in the constitutional referendum. (…) The "Bolivarian Militia" is back, as is a plan for a parallel system of Chavez-appointed governors with free access to the na-tional treasury.
Dec. 28, 2008 BBC Monitoring Latin America
Freites said that the regulations have been consulted with the members of the two branches of the Militia: The Military Reserve and the Territorial Militia, and that he hopes to bring them to the coordinating meeting between the Defence Ministry and the four branches [of the Armed Force], in addition to the Council of Ministers, for it to be approved. (...)
To clear up doubts on the exact number of Venezuelans who belong to this military institution, the commander said that the Military Reserve currently has 150,000 people enlisted, while the Territorial Militia has between 600,000 and 700,000 people in it. He said that he expects the number of militia members to increase to 1 million during 2009 and that within eight to 10 years its ranks will include 15 million Venezuelans.
Along these lines, he denied the intention of militarizing the country and stressed that all of the people who are in the Militia had joined voluntarily. The Major General dismissed the controversy stirred up by the creation of the institution that he leads, since he believes that it comes under Article 322 of the Constitution, which establishes that national defence is the responsibility of all Venezuelans. (...)
He clarified that the cops does not just fulfil defence and protection duties, but that it also works for integrated national development.
He commented that the Militia is in charge of the Miranda Mission, which is aimed at integrating socially excluded people into the reserve units to provide them with training and then to give them a job opportunity in certain state institutions.
[A related item in El Universal adds the following information:
"The country currently has 49 reserve Battalions and the majority of them are located in military facilities.
"Some 350 active-duty officers are currently on service commissions in the National Bolivarian Militia.
"People who want to join the militia just have to present their ID cards and two full-face photographs in any military facility.
"Reserve officers are in command of their units according to military hierarchy, as happens with the officers in the four branches of the FANB [Bolivarian National National Armed Force].
"With the new LOFANB [Charter FANB Law], the professionals who forge careers in the Reserve can reach the rank of colonel."]
Source: El Universal website, Caracas, in Spanish 17 Dec 08
Dec. 2, 2009 The International Herald Tribune
March 17, 2010 Jane's Defence Weekly
April 15, 2010 The New Zealand Herald
Chavez rallied the civilian militia at an outdoor speech while marking the anniversary of a failed 2002 coup against him. Organisers estimated about 35,000 militia members in the crowd.
The President said his opponents would be defeated if they tried another coup, and he vowed to emerge again with a dominant majority in the National Assembly after September elections. Chavez said that he believed some people in Venezuela were conspiring to assassinate him.
"If they were to do it ... you know what you would have to do," he said."Simply take all power in Venezuela, absolutely all, sweep away the bourgeoisie from all politi-cal and economic spaces, deepen the revolution."
He called the militia, which he created, a key force to help defend the country against any threat.
May 8, 2010 The New Zealand Herald
From what exactly?
Chavez has warned repeatedly of potential threats: the United States, US-allied Colombia and the Venezuelan "oligarchy", as he labels opponents. He has urged recruits to be ready to lay down their lives if necessary to battle "any threat, foreign or domestic", even though Venezuela has never fought a war against another nation. (...)
In the meantime, the militia is a practical tool for Chavez to engage his supporters, rally nationalist fervour and intimidate any opponents who might consider another coup like the one he survived in 2002.
One close aide, Public Works Minister Diosdado Cabello, said there were already 120,000 in the militia, and it could grow to 200,000.
Chavez opponents call those figures grossly exaggerated, but they still are alarmed that gov-ernment loyalists are being armed across the country. They also condemn the more than US$4 billion ($5.5 billion) that Chavez has spent on Russian weapons, including guns, helicopters and Sukhoi fighter jets which now sometimes thunder over Caracas.
The militia "is a personal army, a Praetorian Guard", said retired Rear Admiral Elias Buchszer, a Chavez opponent. He said despite Chavez's talk about repelling a US invasion, the militia is really aimed at maintaining control, keeping him in power, and "making the country fear that if any-thing is done the militiamen are going to come out".
Members of the volunteer force range from the unemployed to electricians, bankers and social workers. Most of those interviewed during the training in April said they either benefit from free state education programmes or work as public employees. They are not paid to attend events but receive about US$7 each to offset transportation costs. (...)
Their instructors, including experienced militia troops and army officers, say one objective is to ready them for a war of resistance against an occupying force. One of the militia's guiding principles is constantly drilled into the group as they salute in unison shouting: "Socialist homeland or death! We will be victorious!" (...)
Some who belong to the militia say Venezuelans have nothing to fear, that their only purpose is to protect the country and that their guns are locked away in military depots when not in use. They also carry out missions including standing guard at state-run markets, and say they would be prepared to respond in earthquakes or other disasters. Others are trained in how to safe-guard Venezuela's oil industry and keep fuel flowing in the event of a conflict.
July 23, 2010 Business Monitor Online
Aug. 18, 2011 BBC Monitoring Latin America
"The plan has been successful to the point of turning officers into political operators.(...) The president is aware that a professional, institutionally-minded force would reject his project. Thus, he is applying the Libyan model, which has done away with the regular Army and created militias to defend Al-Qadhafi."
Oct. 2, 2012 Business Monitor Online
Jan. 29, 2013 BBC Monitoring Latin America
"This situation with the militia members must be explained to the nation, as well as the alleged participation of other countries because if these claims are confirmed, it would involve meddling in the country's internal affairs and a violation of sovereignty," Herrera Betancourt noted. (…)
The general reiterated the complaint about militia training by Cuban and Iranian nationals and condemned the "complaisant" behavior of the military commanders. He argued that there are pictures of the decoration awarded by the General Command of the Bolivarian Militias to Gen. Mohamad Reza Nadqi, chief of the Iranian Militias, after he led the training of officers of the Venezuelan Militias two years ago.
May 27, 2013 The Times (London)
Mr Maduro gave few details about the new militia except to say it would be part of the existing Bolivarian Militia, which has about 120,000 members, although only a quarter are believed to be combat ready.
He said that he had issued the military orders to "move forward as fast as possible in the establishment and organisation of the Bolivarian Militias of Workers" and told the audience to picture "300,000, 500,000, one million, two million uniformed workers, armed, prepared to de-fend the sovereignty of the homeland".
Nov. 1, 2013 BBC Monitoring Latin America
Nov. 22, 2013 telegraph.co.uk
March 8, 2018 Wikipedia. “National Bolivarian Militia of Venezuela“.
It has been alleged by El Mundo that the militia has sometimes used "violence to silence dissent or journalists who do not bow to the discourse of the regime"