Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro surrounded by his wife and Deputy Cilia Flores and military commanders during a military parade. July 5, 2020. File photo: Reuters.
This Saturday, July 2, the commander in chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) and President of the Republic Nicolás Maduro warned about the terrorist plans that have been hatched against Venezuela by the administration of the outgoing president of Colombia, Iván Duque: “Keep your guard up, men and women of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, of the Presidential Honor Guard, of the Military Counterintelligence Directorate; men and women of arms, guard up high to continue defeating the terrorist threats that come from the dying government of Iván Duque in Colombia, guard up high and always high morale.”
During the promotion ceremony for professional military personnel of the Presidential Honor Guard (GHP) and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), the President also called on the men and women of the FANB to aim for perfect union with the people, referred in Venezuela as Civic-Military Union.
Maduro informed that: “We cannot lower our guard in the face of terrorist threats in Colombia. [Iván Duque] is leaving, he says goodbye forever and goes to the dump of history, but he continues to activate plans. We have the information in hand about terrorist attacks against the Venezuelan electrical grid; terrorist attacks against personalities, political and military leaders of Venezuela. In his impotence, in his hatred and in his defeat, Iván Duque wants to take revenge on Venezuela.”
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“The civic-military union must be consolidated in a fusion of the people in arms, of the homeland, from the deep roots of our founding fathers to the flourishing branches of the Bolivarian Republic in this 21st century,” he added.
At the event, President Maduro announced the approval of the promotion of 15,150 officers and professional troops, as well as more than 90 generals and admirals of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB). The head of state highlighted and congratulated the follow-up, preparation and training work carried out by the promotion board this year 2022.
“I congratulate the promotion boards of the four components for their extraordinary work (…) which also demonstrates the intrinsic strengthening of the capacity of our Armed Force to stay in permanent combat, training, cultivating professionalism, patriotism and love, morality and discipline within the four components,” he stressed.
Likewise, he underlined the fundamental role that the FANB has in the Venezuelan nation: “You men and women are the greatest guarantee of peace, stability, security and the life of our country, congratulations, let’s move on!”
Duque rejects Maduro’s tentative visit to Colombia
Meanwhile, this Friday, July 1, Colombian Semana magazine published an interview with Iván Duque where his resentment towards the Venezuelan head of state is clearly visible. He stressed that he won’t allow President Maduro to enter Colombia, even in the case that Gustavo Petro invites him to his inauguration ceremony, despite the fact that Colombian political tradition gives all presidential inauguration decision to the upcoming president.
Semana‘s journalist Vicky Davila asked Duque the following question: “I understand that Casa Militar (Colombian Secret Service) is the one that organizes the protocol of the presidential inauguration. Is Iván Duque, president of Colombia until August 7, going to allow Nicolás Maduro to attend the inauguration of Gustavo Petro?
Iván Duque’s response was the following: “Vicky, presidential inaugurations are organized by the Foreign Ministry and Casa Militar. Iván Duque, president of Colombia, does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela. That means that as long as I am the president of the republic, Nicolás Maduro will not enter Colombian territory. If the next president wants to have him here in Colombia, he will be able to do so once he has been sworn in as president. If he wants to give him that recognition and if he wants to extend that invitation to him while I am the president of Colombia, Nicolás Maduro will not be recognized as the head of state of Venezuela.”
Worrying news as gasoline production is halted at Venezuela's largest refinery in Amuay as a result of an electrical issue. Power has been restored but not gasoline production, according to what we could find. We'll be updating as more info is disclosedhttps://t.co/MVEoV4p94n
— Venezuelanalysis (@venanalysis) July 3, 2022
Meanwhile, indigenous leader Virgilio Trujillo Arana was killed on Thursday in the border state of Amazonas. Trujillo-Arana was fighting together with the FANB against illegal mining and Colombian paramilitary group incursion into Venezuelan territory, where they export their violence. On Friday, an electrical facility was attacked causing a short electrical blackout in the South of Caracas and this Sunday an electrical blackout was reported in the Paraguaná refining complex (Amuay Refinery) causing the halting of the gasoline refining production as reported by Venezuelanalysis.com on its Twitter account.
Many analysts say that the obsessive tendencies of Iván Duque towards President Maduro is clearly visible, as one can read his accusations against the Venezuelan president with any US-manufactured illogical argument, all while being the head of a country plagued by crime, drug-trafficking and paramilitary violence. For that reason, next Thursday millions of Colombians will celebrate the departure of the nefarious government of Iván Duque and the ending of the warmongering, paramilitary and narco-trafficking Uribista era.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/DD
