In view of the Colombian authorities’ refusal to resolve the recent border incident with Venezuela, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López expressed on Tuesday the duty of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) to act, defend and enforce the Venezuelan sovereignty before armed groups of Colombian origin.
On Sunday, November 4, members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) were attacked by Colombian armed groups in the Escondido neighborhood of the municipality of Atures, in Amazonas state. The incident caused the death of three Venezuelan soldiers and on Monday the minister offered a press conference on what happened.
Padrino López repudiated the inaction of the Government of Colombia in dialogue with Venezuela and address the situation. He also lamented the death of the three military officials.
«We are going to do what we have to do militarily, we do not renounce the offensive, our offensive power to respond, make respect and enforce our sacred, Bolivarian, Revolutionary and Chavista sovereignty», he said, after denouncing that Colombian armed groups operating in the Department of Vichada, seek to venture into Venezuelan territory.
«Yesterday I asked for caution so as not to fall for the temptations of the false positives that they want to sow on the border, but here in the Armed Forces, I have told the Generals very clearly that we are going to look for the last group. call, guerrilla, dissident, paramilitary, criminal, drug trafficker, whatever their name, we are going to look for them and we are going to kick them out of our Homeland», he emphasized.
He warned of an attack maneuver against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, institutions and authorities such as President Nicolás Maduro, organized by politicians subject to the American empire.
«Three dead, three more dead have put the Armed Forces defending its sovereignty, defending the territorial integrity, defending the military honor of the Armed Forces, and we have seen how the political operators fold to imperial lines, you can see the new stratagem to attack the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, its institutions, the constitutional president of the Republic», he said.
The minister pronounced himself before the declarations of an official of the embassy of Colombia in the United States (USA) to John Bolton, Adviser of Security of the North American country.
The minister valued as an act of political degradation the words of the representative of the Colombian embassy after stating that armed groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) are being sheltered by the Bolivarian Government:
«I do not know what kind of a clown act this is, I already know or we all know the degradation of politics, not only here in Venezuela but also internationally, that has degraded politics to the lowest, to its lowest level», he said while questioning the statements of the Colombian official, because the Venezuelan soldiers are the victims of the incursion of armed groups of the neighboring country.
Lastly, he sent a message of condolence to the families of the military personnel killed last Sunday and confirmed his commitment to defend the honor of the members of the GNB.
