Defense Minister Padrino López: 'We declare ourselves in rebellion against imperialism' - MPPRE

Defense Minister Padrino López: ‘We declare ourselves in rebellion against imperialism’

In response to an incursion of armed groups on the coast of Macuto, La Guaira State, on Sunday, May 3, General-in-Chief Vladimir Padrino López, sectorial vice-president of Political Sovereignty, Security and Peace and Minister of People’s Power for Defense, read a statement of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) to categorically reject the attempted invasion, described by the military institution as an irrational, terrorist act of violence. Accompanied by the FANB Chiefs of Staff, commanders of superior units, tactical units, professional troops and enlisted troops, General-in-Chief Vladimir Padrino López addressed the Venezuelan people to ensure the timely neutralization of this “vulgar incursion against national sovereignty.” “A group of mercenaries has attempted to trample on our sacred soil, and they have received the strong response of the arms of the Republic. Today, civism, the people’s unity, and the FANB patriotism turned into a victory for the arms of the Republic (…) We have responded in every tone proportional to the permanent threats, harassment and aggressions against us,” expressed the Venezuelan defense minister as he referred to the actions taken to fight this armed attack. Joint Efforts Before reading the statement, Padrino López praised the joint effort made by the state’s security forces by affirming that “Thanks to all the efforts and coordination we have made with security, intelligence and counterintelligence agencies, as well as the actions of the Strategic Operational Command with all the FANB naval, air and ground assets, we have faced with tenacity an incursion that attempted to disembark from water to land in order to establish manpower on Venezuelan soil, destabilize the country’s peace and violate our sovereignty.” The Venezuelan defense minister added that “they are meddling with the most sacred thing a soldier of the homeland has: the sovereignty and integrity of our geographical spaces, with our independence. These are inalienable rights that our Constitution demands from us. We will not renounce these principles, values and rights. By holding on to them, we have given today a strong response, as we have done in the past in the face of US imperialism’s and oligarchic conspiracies.” Padrino López stressed that Venezuela “has given civic demonstrations of the people’s national unity. The FANB has displayed broad, accurate and real patriotism. We have given displays of civic-military unity. There is a strong, institutional leadership in Bolívar’s Homeland.” Mercenary Incursion “It is an evident aggression, prepared by the US imperialism in Colombian territory as investigations have revealed so far,” affirmed Defense Minister Padrino López. “These attempts will continue to be empty. How do you pretend that a mercenary lacking spirit who is only moved by money, who does not have a symbol, nor a flag, can put up to the moral, spiritual and physical strength of the FANB and its people? It is completely unbelievable. Mercenaries do not have a soul; they are cowards.” Padrino López said that “the chiefs of this operation send these young men as cannon fodder to disrupt the democracy, institutions and the constitutionally established government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. We declare ourselves in permanent rebellion against the US imperialism and those who dare trample on our sovereignty. We declare ourselves in permanent vigil!” New Phase of “Bolivarian Shield” Military Exercises The Venezuelan defense minister announced the FANB commander-in-chief has ordered a new phase of the “Bolivarian Shield” Military Exercises in the next hours throughout the country, especially in the coastal region, with strong air, sea and ground patrol and search operations to detect any other element or conspiracy cell attempting to destabilize the peace of the nation. Finally, Padrino López asserted that “the FANB rejects from the depth of its heart and soul this imperialist aggression against the honor of a homeland whose Liberator is our Father Bolívar.”