The National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela approved by a qualified majority this Tuesday the Law of the Command for the Integral Defense of the Nation. This legal instrument seeks to coordinate the capabilities of the State and the People’s Power to safeguard national sovereignty against what have been described as foreign aggression and threats.
The legislation, approved during an ordinary session at the Federal Legislative Palace, grants the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) greater powers to develop coordinated policies for the defense of the country. The project, which contains three titles and 35 articles, has as its goal to strengthen peace, democracy, and comprehensive defense through greater coordination among the different levels of the State.
Among the main provisions of the law is the integration of the Bodies of Direction of Integral Defense (ODDI) and the Work Committees through situation rooms. Their specific functions include:
– Collecting and analyzing information to identify patterns, trends, and potential risks.
– To evaluate appropriate responses to threat situations.
– To facilitate communication and collaboration among the different entities of the State.
– Monitoring implemented actions and determining response capacity at different territorial levels.
The president of the Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, justified the need for this law due to the «constant aggression» by the United States. Rodríguez denounced that, for more than a decade, Venezuela has been the victim of «unilateral coercive measures, blockades, and other illegal actions» with the objective of «promoting a regime change» and appropriating the country’s natural resources, such as «rare earths, gold, and precious minerals.»
He also warned about the deployment of the U.S. Southern Command in international waters of the Caribbean, describing its presence as a military threat under the «pretext of a supposed fight against drugs.»
During his intervention, Rodríguez referred to the statement by the Russian State Duma, which recently approved a document urging UN members to condemn the growing U.S. military presence in the region:
«Our gratitude to the heroic Russian people, to their State Duma, and to their President Vladimir Putin,» expressed Rodríguez. «It is in complex and difficult times when true friends are tested, and the Russian Federation is our true friend,» he emphasized.
With the enactment of this law, the Venezuelan State seeks to centralize and strengthen its defense architecture, reaffirming the shared responsibility among the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB), institutions, and the people in protecting national integrity.