The Vice President for Political Sovereignty, Security and Peace and Minister of Popular Power for Defense, G/J Vladimir Padrino López, in the company of the Expanded Superior Staff, expressed the categorical condemnation of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), to the unilateral coercive measures by the United States government, and expresses that they remain in civil-military union against any type of threat against the sovereignty, freedom and independence of the nation:
“The FANB strongly rejects the unilateral coercive measures by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury against 16 Venezuelan State officials, which include officers, generals and admirals who are members of the High Military Command, and commanders of Higher Units of the military institution,” reads the statement.
Likewise, the document points out that the new act of gross interventionism by North American imperialism intends to continue its stertoric role as world police, “carrying out actions of this disgraceful nature, lacking the most basic legality and absolutely contrary to the norms of international law, as well as to the principle of self-determination of peoples.”
It was also stated that the North American empire, in its desperate and irrational attempt to overthrow the legitimately constituted government of the Venezuelan nation, seeks to install a puppet inclined to its nefarious ambition for the abundant natural resources, and is carrying out this crude aggression against the military leadership of the country represented by the persons of General Domingo Antonio Hernández Lárez, strategic operational commander, General Elio Estrada Paredes, general commander of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), General Johan Alexander Hernández Larez, commander of the Strategic Region of Integral Defense of the Capital, and General Asdrúbal José Brito Hernández, commander of the Command Action Group of the GNB.
To do this, they use the worn-out extortion mechanism of the so-called sanctions, and they do so precisely to affect those who acted in defense of the inalienable rights of the people, reestablished peace throughout the national territory after the stateless far right launched a coup d’état, once the defeat in the presidential elections of the opposition candidate was consummated when they unleashed terrorist, violent, cyberfascist, and vandalistic actions, which left a very regrettable balance of dead and wounded in addition to considerable material losses.»
The FANB expresses «its unwavering solidarity with all public servants and especially with their comrades in arms who are victims of arrogance. You can count on the indomitable strength of the soldiers of Bolívar and Chávez, who cannot be blackmailed, nor do we allow ourselves to be intimidated by the imperial scourge, and that is why we will always be at your side to support you in this and all the battles to come, because whoever offends and defiles any of us will find us all to defend him.”
“We remain in perfect civil-military union, alert to any type of threat against the freedom, independence and sovereignty of the nation, and we will preserve the internal order of the country at all costs, reiterating that peace will be our main and most precious victory, as stated by citizen Nicolás Maduro, constitutional president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, commander in chief of the FANB, who has ordered the award of the Order of the Liberators of Venezuela in its first class to these four worthy patriotic officers of the FANB,” concluded the Minister of Defense.