Venezuela strengthens military ranks amid growing U.S. naval presence

12:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Venezuela strengthens military ranks amid growing U.S. naval presence

Venezuela has expanded its armed forces by inducting 5,600 new soldiers at the Fuerte Tiuna complex in Caracas, reinforcing its military posture as U.S. naval forces consolidate in the Caribbean. The swearing-in ceremony, led by senior officers, underscored President Nicolás Maduro’s determination to resist what his government describes as an “imperialist encirclement” threatening national sovereignty.

Growing military buildup

The move follows the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and 11 accompanying warships, forming one of the largest U.S. operations in the region in decades. Venezuela’s army currently counts about 200,000 active personnel and a similar number of police officers. Officials in Caracas claim the new recruits will strengthen “defense readiness” amid escalating tensions with Washington.

Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendon Vilchez declared during the ceremony that the country “will never surrender its territory nor bow to foreign powers.” His statement echoed a wider call for unity across Venezuela’s armed forces as the United States continues “Operation Southern Spear,” an anti-narcotics campaign that has already resulted in multiple maritime strikes and dozens of casualties.

Opposition leader dies in custody

The expansion of Venezuela’s ranks coincided with the sudden death of Alfredo Díaz, a 55-year-old opposition politician and former governor, who passed away inside Caracas’s El Helicoide detention center. He had been imprisoned on terrorism and incitement charges following the disputed 2024 national election.

Human rights group Foro Penal denounced the incident, noting that Díaz was the sixth opposition figure to die in custody since November. The organization’s director, Alfredo Romero, reported that Díaz had been kept largely in solitary confinement with minimal family contact.

Diplomatic response from Ankara

In a separate development, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reached out to Maduro by phone, encouraging both Venezuela and the United States to pursue diplomatic dialogue rather than confrontation. Turkey’s Communications Directorate confirmed the discussion, underscoring Ankara’s position that “political disputes must be resolved through negotiation.”

The United States, under the Trump administration, previously labeled Venezuela’s so-called “Cartel of the Suns” a foreign terrorist organization, alleging links to large-scale drug trafficking. Maduro dismissed the accusations as fabricated, describing them as part of a broader campaign against Venezuelan sovereignty.