The Bolivarian National Armed Force addressing the abduction of President NicolĂĄs Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores on Sunday, January 4. File Photo.
Venezuelan Defense Minister and sectoral Vice President for Political Sovereignty, Security, and Peace Vladimir Padrino LĂłpez read a statement alongside the high military command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB). The statement repudiated the abduction of President NicolĂĄs Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, denouncing that much of President Maduro’s security team, “soldiers and innocent citizens,” were “cold-bloodedly murdered.” It fully supported the previously signed decree on external commotion and noted that he will guarantee the country’s governability, the maintenance of internal order, and the preservation of peace. The statement called on the Venezuelan people to resume normal activities.
In remarks before reading the statement, Padrino LĂłpez stated that the Bolivarian National Armed Force repudiates the aggression against Venezuela’s sovereignty and the illegal abduction of President NicolĂĄs Maduro, “the person the people elected as their president” in the 2024 elections. He reiterates that Maduro is the president, “the authentic and genuine leader of all Venezuelans.”
Padrino LĂłpez also defended First Lady Cilia Flores, whom he described as a brave and principled woman who had been viciously attacked. “We ask the world to carefully watch everything that is happening against Venezuela, its citizens, and its Constitution.”
The minister praised the response of governments and peoples of the world condemning this gross intervention against Venezuelan sovereignty. However, he was emphatic in saying, “The world should put its boundaries in place, because this is an aggression against global sovereignty. If it were against Venezuela today, it could be against any country tomorrow.”
He highlighted that the FANB has guaranteed Venezuela’s democratic continuity and will continue to do so. He called for Venezuela to resume its commercial, educational, and other activities, applauding the fact that the swearing-in ceremony for the new National Assembly will take place this Monday, January 5.
Venezuela’s Government Declares Unwavering Unity Behind President Maduro
See the full unofficial translation of the statement:
The Bolivarian National Armed Force strongly condemns the cowardly abduction of NicolĂĄs Maduro Moros, Constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, our Commander-in-Chief, and his wife, First Lady Dr. Cilia Flores de Maduro. This act was perpetrated yesterday, Saturday, January 3, after murdering a large part of his security team, soldiers, and innocent citizens in cold blood.
Likewise, in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice dated January 3, 2026, appointing Delcy EloĂna RodrĂguez GĂłmez, Executive Vice President of the Republic, to assume, in her capacity as ACTING PRESIDENT, all the powers, duties, and authorities of the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In strict compliance with the provisions of our Constitution, the Organic Law on States of Exception, and the Organic Law on National Security, we fully support the previously signed Decree of a State of Foreign Commotion throughout the national territory. In this same vein, the Bolivarian Government will guarantee the governability of the country, and our institution will continue to use all its available capabilities for military defense, the maintenance of internal order, and the preservation of peace.
Finally, we have activated Full Operational Readiness throughout the entire national territory, in perfect harmony between the people, the military, and the police, to integrate the elements of National Power in the mission to confront imperial aggression, forming a single combat bloc to ensure the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of the nation.
The FANB is the United Liberation Army of the 21st Century!
ChĂĄvez lives! The homeland continues!
Independence and Socialist Homeland! We will live, and we will win!
Venezuela’s sun rises in Essequibo!
Independence or nothing!… Always loyal… Never traitors!
Caracas, January 4, 2026
VladĂmir Padrino LĂłpez
Commander-in-Chief
(Alba Cuidad)Â by Luigino Bracci
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/AS/SF
Luigino Bracci
He is passionate about computer science since he was about 14 years old, at that age âa man gave me a small computer that he had bought in the eighties, of those that were connected to a television and had to be programmed to work (a Sinclair ZX81 ), and I really liked it.â On his political inclination, his parents were a great influence. âThey were people of very humble origins, both emigrants, dissatisfied with injustice and inequality. But they were not militants of the left. I had many other influences, classmates in HS whose parents were on the left, as well as several teachers who were trained in the Pedagogical and gave us classes at a time as conflictive as it was the presidency of CAP and the military insurrection of ChĂĄvez â He enrolled in the UCV and in 2006 he graduated in Computing, a career that he complements with popular communication in the digital field.
