Venezuela's Desperate Defence Plans Against US Military Might
The South American nation of Venezuela is reportedly preparing for a potential American invasion following escalating threats from President Donald Trump, with officials developing two distinct strategies to counter what they perceive as an imminent military threat.
Heightening tensions reached new levels on Saturday when President Trump declared Venezuela's airspace closed entirely, a move that Venezuelan Foreign Minister denounced as a "colonialist threat" and "extravagant, illegal, and unjustified aggression against the people of Venezuela."
Guerrilla Warfare and Secret 'Anarchization' Strategy
According to planning documents and sources speaking to Reuters, Venezuela has developed two primary defence strategies. The first involves turning to guerrilla-style resistance in response to any American attack, acknowledging they cannot compete with conventional US military superiority.
More concerning is the second, secret strategy referred to as 'anarchization' - a deliberate plan to create chaos through intelligence agents and armed supporters of the ruling party to make the capital city of Caracas impossible for foreign forces to control.
Sources revealed this plot would make Venezuela "ungovernable" for any invading force, though officials have yet to publicly acknowledge this controversial strategy.
Massive Military Disparity Between Nations
The military capabilities between the two nations show a staggering imbalance. According to the most recent Global Firepower Index, the United States ranks as the world's most powerful military, while Venezuela sits at a distant 50th position.
Sources close to the Venezuelan government admitted they wouldn't "last two hours in a conventional war" with the US, with another source telling Reuters earlier this month: "We're not ready to face one of the world's most powerful and well-trained armies."
Trump's Escalating Anti-Drug Campaign
The Trump administration has launched what it describes as a crusade against 'narco-terrorists' transporting drugs through international waters, with current and former Pentagon officials estimating the lethal campaign has killed over 80 people.
This includes 11 people aboard a boat hit by a US missile strike in September. The Washington Post reported that two sources with direct knowledge claimed US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave analysts monitoring the boat instructions to "kill everybody" on board on September 2.
Hegseth later stated the administration intends to target "narco-terrorists poisoning the American people," adding in a social media post that they've "only just begun to kill narco-terrorists."
Military Buildup in Caribbean Waters
The United States has significantly amplified its military presence in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, with officials warning of a "new phase" in operations. Navy vessels have been observed sailing increasingly closer to Venezuelan territory in recent weeks.
This new wave of deployments began in August with the arrival of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. In October, the US announced that the 1,106-foot USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, would join the mission, reaching Caribbean waters on November 11 with more than 4,000 sailors, fighter jets and support vessels.
The Pentagon is calling this substantial presence 'Operation Southern Spear,' with estimates suggesting over 15,000 troops are now in the region.
Venezuela's Military Limitations and Preparation
Facing this overwhelming force, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claims there are eight million civilians training in militias, though the country's actual military equipment remains decades old, mostly purchased from Russia in the early 2000s.
Maduro, who has ruled since 2013 following Hugo Chávez, has cultivated strong military loyalty by appointing officers to high-ranking government roles. However, the US has condemned his rule as illegitimate, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio branding him an illegitimate president and recently naming the Cartel de Los Soles a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Rubio described this group as high-ranking individuals following Maduro who have corrupted Venezuela's military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary through terrorist violence and drug trafficking.
Land Invasion Threat Looms
President Trump has suggested operations will escalate to land strikes, telling service members on a Thanksgiving phone call that intercepting drug traffickers on land would be "easier" and would begin "very soon."
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham supported this escalation, telling CNN: "I very much appreciate and respect the determination by President Trump to deal with the drug caliphate countries that inhabit our backyard — chief among them Venezuela."
As both nations continue their military posturing, the situation remains dangerously volatile, with Venezuela preparing for a conflict it knows it cannot win through conventional means, instead relying on asymmetric warfare strategies that could plunge the nation into chaos.
