Venezuela is quietly preparing for a possible U.S. military attack by deploying outdated Russian-made weapons and training forces for a nationwide guerrilla-style resistance, according to planning documents and sources familiar with the matter.
The strategy — described internally as “prolonged resistance” — reflects President Nicolás Maduro’s acknowledgment that his armed forces are ill-equipped to face the United States in a conventional war. Washington’s recent military buildup in the Caribbean and President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting that “the land is going to be next” after anti-narcotics strikes near Venezuela have deepened Caracas’s fears of invasion.
In what officials call a dual-defense approach, Venezuela plans to rely on two key tactics: guerrilla warfare and “anarchization.” The first would see small units stationed at more than 280 sites conducting sabotage and hit-and-run attacks, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. The second involves using intelligence operatives and pro-government militias to sow chaos in the capital, Caracas, and render the country ungovernable to any occupying force.
“These are complementary strategies,” said one source with knowledge of Venezuela’s defense planning. “We wouldn’t last two hours in a conventional war.”
Government insiders admit that Venezuela’s armed forces — weakened by corruption, low pay, and years of underinvestment — cannot match U.S. military strength. “We’re not ready to face one of the world’s most powerful and well-trained armies,” another source close to the security establishment said.
Despite Maduro’s public praise for the “soldiers of the homeland,” rank-and-file troops are struggling.
Maduro maintains loyalty from top officers by giving them control over ministries and state-run companies, a tactic inherited from his predecessor Hugo Chávez. The military leadership supported Maduro’s contested 2024 re-election despite widespread reports of fraud and international condemnation.
Venezuela’s arsenal remains heavily dependent on Soviet-era and Russian-made hardware — much of it obsolete. The air force operates about 20 Sukhoi fighter jets, but military experts say they are vastly inferior to U.S. aircraft such as the B-2 bomber. The country also relies on old Russian tanks, helicopters, and shoulder-fired Igla-S missiles, some of which have already been deployed across Venezuela.
“Any military force in the world knows the power of the Igla-S,” Maduro said on state television, claiming that 5,000 units had been distributed “to the last mountain, the last town, and the last city.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said last week it was ready to assist Venezuela with maintenance and radar upgrades but urged both countries to avoid escalation.
Maduro claims that 8 million civilians have joined pro-government militias trained to defend the country.
Yet sources estimate that only 5,000 to 7,000 would participate in any “anarchization” campaign alongside intelligence operatives and loyalist militias.
The government’s resistance strategy, detailed in internal documents dating from 2012 to 2022, emphasizes asymmetric tactics such as ambushes, urban sabotage, and survival in hostile terrain. Manuals instruct fighters on how to use compasses, the sun, and even stars for navigation if communication systems fail.
Defense analysts believe the Maduro government’s primary goal is not victory but deterrence.
While Maduro dismisses talk of U.S. intervention as “imperialist fantasy,” his televised inspections of weaponry and militia drills signal preparation for conflict.
“The land of Bolívar will resist any foreign aggression,” he declared last week.
For now, Washington has not confirmed any plans for direct military action.
Africa Digital News, New York
