Listen to this articleOn Monday, the defense minister of Venezuela Vladimir Padrino said that his troops are ready to die in the battle for control of their beleaguered South American nation. He urged the country’s soldiers to stand up to imperialism and fight for independence. Padrino made the remarks while addressing soldiers at a show of military strength at an army base in Caracas. He was dressed in full battle uniform with a rifle slung over his shoulder. Padrino denounced the movement to eliminate President Nicolás Maduro and urged his troops to stand firm in the face of foreign interference.
Padrino is supporting Maduro who has served as president since replacing revolutionary leader Hugo Chávez in 2013, following the president’s power struggle with opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who declared himself interim president last week. Guaidó is the leader of the country’s parliament and has said he is constitutionally bound to take power if there is no legitimate president in the country. Multiple nations led by Trump in the United States have officially recognized Guaidó as the country’s leader. These nations include the United Kingdom, Canada and most of Venezuela’s neighbors.
It is noteworthy that Maduro won a presidential election in 2018. The domestic opposition and international critics have declared the result illegitimate, citing voter fraud, opposition repression, and other irregularities. The strong military of the country has remained loyal to Maduro. He has used his forces to suppress dissent and prop up his embattled regime. Guaidó has attempted to rally support within the armed forces and offered a legal amnesty for any troops who defect to his parallel administration. But his efforts have failed so far with Padrino, who has served as defense minister since 2014. Maduro has repeatedly blamed the U.S of leading an “economic war” against his country. Maduro’s government suffered its first senior military defection last week.
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