Venezuela Responds to Trumps Mockery of Militia Women
Venezuela's government honored five militia women on Tuesday, declaring them "soldiers of the homeland" in a ceremony that officials said was a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent mockery of their training.
Trump's post, published Monday on his Truth Social account, showed women running with rifles during training exercises. "TOP SECRET: We caught the Venezuelan Militia in training," Trump wrote sarcastically, adding, "A very serious threat!" The footage was originally broadcast by Venezuelan state media and has circulated widely online.
In a rude and sarcastic post on Truth Social, Trump commented that training carried out by members of this military component is a threat to his nation. He attached a video from a Bolivarian Militia training session showing an overweight participant carrying an automatic weapon.
The footage was from Venezuela’s nationwide drills ordered by President Nicolás Maduro on September 18. The exercises involved over one million participants, including the Bolivarian Militia and the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB). The training exercises were a response to US naval deployments in the Caribbean and recent controversial US extrajudicial strikes against boats allegedly carrying drugs, which have killed 17 Venezuelans so far.
Amid the US regime’s unconventional warfare against Venezuela, President Maduro ordered voluntary enlistment campaigns so those wishing to join the militia could receive military training to defend the country in the event of an attack. Over three million Venezuelans have enlisted in the past five weeks.
VP Rodríguez’s responses
In response to Trump’s statements, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez shared a message on social media: “Fortunately, a handful of free men have been seen to defeat powerful empires,” quoting Venezuela’s founding father, Liberator Simón Bolívar.
She attached images of Vietnamese children escorting captured US soldiers and the calamitous evacuation of the US embassy in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. She also added photos of the US mercenaries captured by Venezuelan militia fishermen during the failed Operation Gideon in 2020.
The US empire also mocked the Vietnamese people and army during the Vietnam War (1955-1975), in which the United States intervened due to its fear of the spread of communism. The war culminated with the withdrawal of US troops in 1973 and the unification of the country under communist rule in 1975, representing a defeat of the US Army.
Women vow to defend their homeland
One of the decorated women, Isabel Arias, spoke before the crowd, saying she was willing to “pick up a rifle” as many times as necessary to defend peace in her country.
“My name is Isabel Arias, a woman of the communes, a worker, a fighter,” the young militia woman said. “Today, my spirit is higher than ever. Nothing and no one will trample on the dignity of Venezuelan women. If I have to pick up a rifle 20,000 times to defend peace in Venezuela, I will be here 20,000 times to do it. We are brave women, warriors, and fighters who will give our all for our families, our children, our homeland, and for peace. Venezuelan women are to be respected, and that is why we are here.”
