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Venezuela vs. Colombia

Military

VenezuelaColombia
Military branchesBolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes a joint-service Aerospace Defense Command (Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral, CODAI); Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB); Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana, NMB)

Bolivarian National Police: Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES) (2020)

note(s): the CODAI is a joint service command with personnel drawn from other services; the FAES police paramilitary unit was created by President MADURO after the 2017 anti-government protests to fight crime; it has been accused of multiple human rights abuses
Military Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Militares de Colombia): National Army (Ejercito Nacional), Republic of Colombia Navy (Armada Republica de Colombia, ARC; includes Coast Guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia, FAC); Colombian National Police (civilian force that is part of the Ministry of Defense) (2021)
Military service age and obligation18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; all citizens of military service age (18-50 years old) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training, although "forcible recruitment" is forbidden (2019)18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP0.4% of GDP (2017)

0.5% of GDP (2016)

0.9% of GDP (2015)

1.1% of GDP (2014)

1.6% of GDP (2013)
3.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

3.2% of GDP (2019)

3.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

3.2% of GDP (2017)

3.1% of GDP (2016)
Military - notebetween 2013 and 2017, Venezuela established at least a dozen military-led firms in a variety of economic sectors, such as agriculture, banking, construction, insurance, the media, mining, oil, and tourism; as of mid-2019, military officers reportedly led at least 60 state-owned companiesthe Colombian Armed Forces are primarily focused on internal security, particularly counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, and counterinsurgency operations against drug traffickers, militants from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) terrorist/guerrilla organizations, and other illegal armed groups; the Colombian Government signed a peace agreement with the FARC in 2016, but some former members (known as dissidents) have returned to fighting; the Colombian military resumed operations against FARC dissidents and their successor paramilitary groups in late 2019; in 2017, the Colombian Government initiated formal peace talks with the ELN, but in January 2019, the government ended the peace talks shortly after the ELN exploded a car bomb at the National Police Academy in Bogotá and resumed counter-terrorism/counterinsurgency operations against the group; operations against both the FARC and ELN continued into 2021 (see Appendix T); the military is also focused on the security challenges posed by its neighbor, Venezuela, where instability has attracted narcotics traffickers and both the ELN and FARC dissidents operate openly
Military and security service personnel strengthsinformation varies; approximately 125-150,000 active personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard (2021)

note - at the end of 2018, the Venezuelan Government claimed the Bolivarian Militia had 1.6 million members, but most reportedly have little to no military training
the Military Forces of Colombia (FMC) have approximately 295,000 total active troops (235,000 Army; 45,000 Navy, including about 22,000 marines; 14,000 Air Force); approximately 185,000 Colombian National Police (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe FANB inventory is mainly of Chinese and Russian origin with a smaller mix of equipment from Western countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US; since 2010, Russia is by far the top supplier of military hardware to Venezuela, followed by China, Spain, and Ukraine (2020)the Colombian military inventory includes a wide mix of equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Brazil, Canada, Europe, Israel, South Korea, and the US; Germany, Israel, and the US are the leading suppliers of military hardware since 2010; Colombia's defense industry is active in producing air, land, and naval platforms (2020)

Source: CIA Factbook