| Military branches | Bolivarian 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 service age and obligation | 18-30 (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) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.4% of GDP (2017) 0.5% of GDP (2016) 0.9% of GDP (2015) 1.1% of GDP (2014) 1.6% of GDP (2013) |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | information 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 |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the 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) |
| Maritime threats | The International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters in the Caribbean Sea as at risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen; in 2020, no attacks were reported which was a decrease from the six attacks in 2019 |
| Military - note | between 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 companies |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
