Venezuela Expands Military Ranks as Caracas Warns of Rising US Pressure

By Staff, Agencies

Venezuela has added 5,600 new members to its armed forces amid what officials in Caracas describe as escalating military pressure from the United States.

The new recruits were sworn in on Saturday at Fuerte Tiuna, the country’s largest military base, following President Nicolás Maduro’s call for increased enlistment.

US authorities have recently accused Maduro—without presenting evidence—of leading the so-called Cartel de los Soles, which Washington designated a terrorist organization last month. Maduro, in turn, maintains that the administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to remove him from power and take control of Venezuela’s oil resources.

During the induction ceremony, Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendón Vilchez vowed that Venezuela would not tolerate any invasion by what he called “an imperialist force.” Official figures place the size of Venezuela’s armed forces at roughly 200,000 troops, supported by an additional 200,000 police personnel.

Also on Saturday, Maduro held a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding global geopolitical developments and the US military buildup in the Caribbean. According to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, Erdoğan voiced “deep concern” about the threats facing Venezuela and the actions he said were destabilizing regional peace and security.

Maduro criticized the US maneuvers near Venezuela as “illegal, disproportionate, unnecessary, and even extravagant,” though he reaffirmed the country’s commitment to peace. Erdoğan, in a statement released by his office on X, stressed the need for dialogue between Washington and Caracas and said he hoped tensions would ease soon.

Since August, the US Southern Command has deployed warships, submarines, aircraft carriers, F-35 units, and around 15,000 personnel to the Caribbean and waters near Venezuela, describing the operation as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking. The deployment includes Carrier Strike Group Twelve and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier.

US forces in the region have also carried out lethal strikes on more than 20 alleged narco-trafficking vessels, resulting in at least 87 deaths. Venezuelan officials have condemned these actions as aggressive displays of US power aimed at intimidating the region and violating Venezuela’s sovereignty during a period of heightened geopolitical tension.