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In his younger years, Edith Perales joined the National Bolivarian Militia, a civilian force established in 2009 by the late President Hugo Chávez to bolster Venezuela’s defense capabilities.
“We must ensure our nation can defend every inch of its territory, preventing external interference,” Chávez declared during the militia’s inception.
Now, sixteen years later, Perales, aged 68, is among the thousands of militia members preparing for a potential confrontation with the United States.
This largely senior citizen force has been mobilized following the deployment of U.S. Navy vessels to the Southern Caribbean, ostensibly for counter-narcotics operations, according to U.S. officials.
Read: What do we know about the US strike on ‘Venezuela drug boat’ and was it legal?
The U.S. forces have reportedly destroyed at least three vessels allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela to the U.S., resulting in the deaths of at least 17 individuals.
Venezuela’s Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino, characterized the U.S. naval deployment and attacks as an “undeclared war” against Venezuela, prompting President Nicolás Maduro to swiftly activate the militia.
Perales has readied his uniform and boots, prepared to defend his “bastion”—his Caracas neighborhood.
He resides in 23 de Enero, a district in the capital historically recognized as a stronghold of Chavismo, the leftist ideology championed by the late President Chávez and adopted by his chosen successor, Nicolás Maduro.
As a staunch supporter of the government, he affirms his readiness to “serve whenever called upon.”
“We must defend the fatherland,” he stated to the BBC, echoing President Maduro’s addresses following the vessel strikes.
Experts consulted by the BBC acknowledge the substantial size of the U.S. naval deployment in the Southern Caribbean, but also suggest it is insufficient to indicate a planned invasion.
The already strained relationship between Venezuela and the U.S. has undeniably deteriorated further since Donald Trump’s return to office.
The U.S. is among numerous nations that have not recognized Maduro’s re-election in July 2024, citing evidence gathered by the Venezuelan opposition, with the aid of independent observers, indicating a decisive victory for his rival, Edmundo González.
Shortly after his second inauguration, Trump designated the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, as a terrorist group, which has been cited as justification for deporting Venezuelan migrants from the U.S. and for recent military actions in the Caribbean.
The Trump administration has also accused Maduro of collusion with drug cartels, recently doubling the reward for information leading to his capture to $50 million (£37.3 million).
Maduro has vehemently denied Washington’s allegations and defended his administration’s efforts against drug trafficking.
However, the Maduro government has also cooperated with the Trump administration by accepting the return of Venezuelan migrants deported from the U.S., whom U.S. officials have accused of gang affiliation.
Following the initial vessel strike, Maduro sent a letter to his U.S. counterpart proposing a meeting, an overture rejected by the White House.
Domestically, however, his rhetoric remains assertive.
Maduro has directed the Venezuelan military, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB), to train local militias, such as the one to which Edith Perales belongs.
These groups primarily consist of volunteers from impoverished communities, though reports indicate public sector employees have faced pressure to join.
Historically, the militia has primarily served to augment attendance at political rallies and parades.
Its members tend to be older than those who join the “colectivos,” groups of staunch government supporters accused of human rights abuses and often employed to suppress anti-government demonstrations.
Apprehensive in the face of what it perceives as a U.S. threat, Maduro’s government is now actively training the militia.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, soldiers deployed throughout Caracas’ Petare neighborhood to fulfill Maduro’s mandate of “bringing the barracks to the people.”
The soldiers’ mission is to instruct locals on weapons handling to defend against “the enemy.”
The training scenario included tanks, Russian-made rifles (unloaded), and instructional posters.
A soldier delivered instructions to a small group via loudspeaker.
“The key is to familiarize yourselves with the weapons; aim at the target and achieve a hit.”
Everyone in the neighborhood, including women and children, listened attentively.
Most volunteers participating in the training lack prior combat experience, but compensate with enthusiasm.
“If I must give my life in battle, I will,” Francisco Ojeda, a local participant, told BBC News Mundo.
The 69-year-old threw himself onto the sun-baked tarmac, assuming a combat position while clutching an AK-103 rifle. A soldier corrected his posture.
“Even the cats will emerge to shoot, to defend our fatherland,” he asserted.
His eagerness was shared by Glady Rodríguez, a 67-year-old woman who recently joined the militia. “We will not allow any U.S. government to invade,” she insisted.
Homemaker Yarelis Jaimes, 38, expressed a degree of hesitation. “This is the first time I’ve held such a weapon,” she admitted. “I feel slightly nervous, but I know I can do it.”
However, outside of Maduro’s strongholds, life continued as usual, with few seemingly preoccupied with the possibility of an invasion.
Mere meters from Francisco Ojeda’s training position, residents carried on their daily routines undisturbed. Street vendors displayed their wares, while others shopped for the weekend, barely glancing at the militia members engaged in their exercises.
Benigno Alarcón, a political analyst at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, suggests Maduro’s intention for the militia is not direct combat, but rather to serve as a “human shield.”
Prof. Alarcón contends that by mobilizing civilians, the Maduro government aims to elevate the potential human cost of any U.S. military action, increasing the likelihood of casualties.
Therefore, according to Prof. Alarcón, the militia’s training level or even armament is inconsequential.
Maduro has claimed that over 8.2 million civilians are enlisted in the militia and reserves, a figure widely disputed.
Perales, a decades-long militia member, views his role as a “defender” of his street, his neighborhood, his familiar surroundings.
While he has participated in previous training exercises, he has refrained from the more recent sessions due to age and health considerations.
However, should a conflict arise, he affirms his readiness: “We must defend the territory. Wearing the uniform itself implies a responsibility.”
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