These plans de facto confirm that the South American country is facing a shortage of soldiers and weapons, Reuters said.
In recent weeks, US forces have carried out a number of attacks on smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea, and US President Donald Trump has suggested that there may also be attacks on Venezuelan territory. He later denied he was considering strikes inside the country.
However, the US has significantly strengthened the forces gathered in the Latin American region, and on Tuesday the US Navy announced that the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group had moved there. It was emphasized that this was to help in the fight against drug smuggling.
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What plans does the Venezuelan military have in the event of a US attack?
What are the problems facing the Venezuelan army?
What two strategies is the Maduro government considering?
Who has ruled Venezuela since 2013?
Nicolas Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, claims that Trump is trying to remove him from power. The US administration accuses him of directing drug smuggling and does not recognize him as the rightful president, and has offered a reward of $50 million for information leading to his arrest.
The U.S. military far outstrips Venezuela's, which struggles with lack of training, low salaries and aging equipment, said six sources with knowledge of the fighting capabilities of the Venezuelan armed forces.
“We wouldn't survive two hours of a conventional war,” said one of the agency's interlocutors.
Some commanders had to negotiate with local food producers to feed their subordinates because state supplies were insufficient, two sources said.
Maduro's government is considering two options
According to Reuters' sources, the Maduro government is considering two response options. One of them is guerrilla warfare, officially referred to as “prolonged resistance”. It assumes the deployment of small units that would commit acts of sabotage and use other guerrilla methods.
The second strategy, known as “anarchization”, involves using intelligence structures and armed supporters of the ruling party to sow chaos on the streets of the capital, Caracas, and thus prevent the city from being managed by foreign forces, one of the sources said.
Representatives of the Maduro regime publicly downplayed the possibility of an American invasion, but at the same time appealed for peace. — Aggression will meet national unity. We are ready here, we do not want war, said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino on Tuesday. (PAP)
