Venezuela is deploying weapons, including decades-old Russian-made military equipment, and preparing for guerrilla resistance if the United States launches air or ground strikes, Reuters reported, citing planning documents and sources familiar with the matter.
The strategy, described internally as “long-term resistance”, reflects a tacit admission of Venezuela’s shortage of personnel and modern weapons.
According to the report, small military units would be deployed in more than 280 locations to carry out sabotage and guerrilla operations.
US threats and Maduro’s response
The planning follows comments by President Donald Trump suggesting the possibility of ground operations in Venezuela, saying “the country will be next” following recent US military attacks on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.
Although Trump later denied plans to strike inside Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro accused Washington of trying to remove him from power and claimed that Venezuelans and the military “will resist any such attempt.”
Weak army, bad conditions
The news outlet, citing sources, said Venezuela’s armed forces — weakened by low pay, poor training and aging equipment — would not be able to sustain a conventional war against the U.S. military.
“We wouldn’t last two hours in a conventional war,” said a source close to the government. Another insider added: “We are not ready to face one of the most powerful and best trained armies in the world.”
Some unit commanders reportedly negotiated with local food producers to feed troops amid chronic shortages.
“Prolonged resistance” and “anarchization”
The news outlet cited two primary defense strategies outlined in the government’s plans. The first, “long-term resistance,” would rely on small military units engaged in hit-and-run attacks.
The second, known as “anarchization,” would use secret service agents and armed pro-government groups to sow chaos in Caracas and make the capital unmanageable to any invading force.
One source, according to the report, said the government’s goal is to “make Venezuela ungovernable for foreign forces,” while another source close to the opposition confirmed that such planning exists but its success is uncertain.
Military loyalty but low morale
Maduro, who has held power since 2013, has secured military loyalty by giving officers top posts in ministries and state-owned companies, a strategy he inherited from his predecessor Hugo Chávez.
Despite these conditions, Maduro claimed that 8 million civilians were training in militias to defend the nation. Independent sources told Reuters that only 5,000 to 7,000 people – including intelligence operatives and party loyalists – would realistically take part in the “anarchization” scenario.
Old Russian weapons and limited capabilities
Venezuela’s arsenal consists mainly of outdated Russian-made hardware, including Sukhoi fighter jets, tanks and shoulder-fired Igla-S missiles, Reuters noted.
“They are nothing next to the American B-2s,” one defense source was quoted as saying, describing the outdated state of Venezuela’s air force.
However, Maduro has publicly defended the country’s capabilities, saying that 5,000 of Venezuela’s Igla-S missiles are “deployed to the last mountain, the last city and the last city.”
Russia’s role and strategic documents
According to Reuters, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was ready to respond to Venezuelan requests for help while urging against escalation.
Documents from 2012 to 2022 reviewed by Reuters show years of preparation to fight “imperialist aggressions”, detailing tactics for the placement of machine guns, grenade launchers and AK-103 rifles, as well as instructions on navigation and solo combat techniques.
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Allegations of drug ties
Opposition groups, NGOs and foreign governments have long accused the Maduro administration and the Venezuelan military of links to drug smuggling, particularly in regions bordering Colombia where guerrilla groups and coca cultivation are widespread.
The Venezuelan government has denied the allegations, saying it is instead fighting Colombian traffickers.
“We are ready, we don’t want war”
Despite internal preparations, officials have publicly played down the US threat.
“They think bombing will end everything. Here in this country?” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said this on state television.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino added during the military exercises: “Aggression will be answered with national unity. We are ready here – we don’t want war.”
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