Venezuela | Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lópéz: Armed Forces do not break with sanctions or reward blackmail

The head of Defense of Venezuela, Vladimir Padrino Lópezassured, in a video released this Sunday, that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) does not break with sanctions or with “blackmail” of reward, after USA offered $15 million for information leading to his capture.

“We do not break ourselves with sanctions or reward blackmailhere the brave are in formation (…) with weapons to, in accordance with our Constitution, defend our territory, our independence, our territorial integrity and our national sovereignty“, said.

Padrino López, in office since 2014, called for “do not fall into the game of psychological warfare” nor in “that plan“, as well as “stand firm” and defend, “serene and brave”, to the people.

He assured that today the Armed Forces is “much more united” y “aware of the historical moment that the country is experiencing”, and thanked the “solidarity” of the military institution with him and the leader of Chavismo, Nicolas Maduro for whose capture the US increased the reward from 15 to 25 million dollars, after being sworn in for a third consecutive term.

On Saturday, the FANB said, in a statement, that a “spurious reward will not dent physical and spiritual strength” of both, and that “aggression only further strengthens the cohesion and absolute union in the demand for respect” to their “leaders and hierarchical superiors”.

The US also offers a reward of 25 million dollars for information that leads to the capture of the head of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Hair.

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Furthermore, the military institution expressed its “most energetic and categorical rejection” to US sanctions, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom announced on Friday, when Maduro was sworn in as president for the 2025-2031 period, a fact that the largest anti-Chavista coalition, which claims the electoral victory of Edmundo González Urrutiadenounced as the consummation of a “coup d’état”.

The opposition leader, who claims to be “very close to Venezuela” y “ready for safe entry”, he said on Friday that, as “commander in chief” y “president-elect“, he orders him”to the military high command to ignore illegal orders given to them by those who confiscate power“and prepare”their security conditions to assume office”.