Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in meeting with the FANB high command. Photo: Presidential Press.
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro instructed the Venezuelan armed forces to increase their presence and operative military capacity to eradicate organized crime.
President Maduro gave these instructions on Friday, August 11, during a working meeting with the expanded General High Command and the commanders of the Strategic Region of Integral Defense (REDI) and the Operational Zones of Integral Defense (ZODI) of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB).
He highlighted the operational deployment of the FANB throughout Venezuela to combat threats from organized criminal gangs and to guarantee Venezuelans’ security. Maduro instructed the military high command to increase military presence in the country to clean the coasts and seas of criminal groups.
#EnVivo 📹 | Mandatario nacional @NicolasMaduro destaca despliegue operativo de la FANB en el territorio nacional combatiendo las amenazas, a los TANCOL, a los grupos estructurados de delicuencia organizada, a los grupos generadores de violencia y a los grupos de terroristas. pic.twitter.com/qPtXZKZtgp
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) August 11, 2023
To achieve this objective, Maduro called to strengthen coordination with the Colombian military to address threats in the border region.
Fourth Amazon Summit: Venezuela Proposes Joint Task Force for Amazon Rainforest Recovery
“The presence of the FANB in the western part of the country, on the border with Colombia, is impressive,” President Maduro said. “Now we have the coordination between Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Colombian Defense Minister Iván Velásquez. We have to expand the coordination with Colombia to combat threats in the border area.”
He also highlighted the success of military deployment in several Venezuelan states to fight illegal mining.
“Most of the illegal mining originates from Colombia,” President Maduro said. “We have to coordinate with the Colombian government. We are not going to stop until illegal mining stops.”
He added that there should be a greater military presence in the south of Venezuela, in the border regions with Brazil, to combat illegal mining.
He also highlighted the ongoing operations in Bolivar, Amazonas, Sucre, Apure, Zulia, Falcon, and Táchira states.
“We have to completely liberate the Amazon, which was Venezuela’s commitment at the Amazon summit in Brazil,” he stated.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
