The President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, ordered the National Armed Forces to establish new military bases in the Paraguaná peninsula to increase the capacity of “surveillance” and “armed reaction”.
He stated during the commemorative act of the 17th anniversary of the Strategic Operational Command of the National Armed Force (Ceofanb).
“I have already given secret orders for establishing military bases in the area, new military bases – new in concept, not a traditional military base.
New in the concept, in its integration with the population, in the territorial occupation, in the surveillance capacity, in the armed reaction capacity,” said Maduro.
Likewise, he specified that the military bases would operate up to Cape San Roman under a scheme of territorial occupation and deployment of the armed reaction in the context of the maneuvers to expel the armed drug trafficking groups operating there.
EXHORTATION TO THE NETHERLANDS
Likewise, the Venezuelan President reiterated “the call to the Government of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, to the Governments of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire, the necessary coordination to combat the routes of the Tancol (Colombian Drug Trafficking Terrorists) in those maritime areas” and pointed out:
“We have done our part very well. Let’s secure the common spaces”.
Due to the special situation Venezuela is going through, the relations between both countries are practically suspended, and, by Maduro’s decision, the maritime and air borders with those Dutch possessions in the Caribbean have been closed since 2019.
OPERATION CACIQUE MANAURE
As reported by InfoDefensa, since the beginning of last September, Operation Cacique Manaure has been carried out in the Paraguaná peninsula, with the deployment of forces and means of the four military components of the National Armed Forces, and which is conducted by the Ceofanb.
The first phase aimed to locate and neutralize irregular and structured criminal groups operating in the area.
In contrast, the second phase included amphibious landing maneuvers, the seizure of beachheads, the parachute launching of Army and Marine Special Forces, and the deployment of anti-aircraft artillery, tanks, and armored vehicles, among other means.
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
The Paraguaná peninsula, with an extension of 3,405 km² and facing the Caribbean Sea north of Falcón State, represents the northernmost area of the country’s continental shelf.
Several factors constitute its strategic importance. Its western coast borders the Gulf of Venezuela, a vital area of the country that communicates to the south through a canal with Lake Maracaibo, where a large part of Venezuelan oil is extracted.
In addition, one of the largest oil refining complexes in the world is located on the western coast of Paraguaná. It is also geographically close to Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire islands.
PERMANENT DEPLOYMENT
The strategic position of Paraguaná makes it necessary to maintain a permanent deployment of forces to ensure its security and defense, as well as the control and surveillance of the intense maritime traffic through the Gulf of Venezuela.
In that order, the Navy has the Naval Base ‘Mariscal Juan Crisóstomo Falcón’, which is the headquarters of several units and logistic support centers, among them, the Combat Patrol Boats Squadron of the Squadron Command, which groups the six patrol boats type Vosper 37-m / Constitución (gunboats) and Federación (missile boats); the Fourth Amphibious Marine Infantry Brigade ‘Almirante Alejandro Petión’ and the Punto Fijo Coast Guard Main Station.
Two units of the Integral Aerospace Defense Command (Codai) of the 19th Western Air Defense Brigade are also added: the 192nd Anti-Aircraft Defense Missile Group ‘Coronel Nicolás Silva Echenique’, equipped with the S-125 Pechora M2 system, and the 1911th Surveillance and Control Squadron.
The National Guard has Detachment No. 131, part of Zone Command No. 13, and Coastal Surveillance Detachment No. 13, attached to the Coastal Surveillance Command.
With information from InfoDefensa