Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday praised the country’s armed forces as “invincible warriors” during a year-end ceremony honouring the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, held in the coastal city of La Guaira.

Speaking at the Bolivarian Naval Military Academy, Maduro was flanked by senior government and military officials as he highlighted what he described as the strengthening of the armed forces’ values of emancipation and humanism amid 27 weeks of heightened tensions with the United States.

During the ceremony, Maduro received a .50 caliber sniper rifle, a symbolic gesture underscoring the government’s emphasis on military preparedness.

He said Venezuela’s national power had been consolidated throughout 2025, not in theory but “on the ground,” with popular and military forces united under his defence plan.

The president said the armed forces were fully prepared to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, portraying the military as a key pillar of national independence.

Maduro said the event marked the culmination of efforts to reaffirm what he described as the country’s foundational values, characterising the armed forces as “emancipators, not imperialists.”

The ceremony took place against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between Venezuela and the United States, including heightened military and diplomatic activity in the Caribbean region.

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