Land-based branch of the Armed Forces of Venezuela
Military unit
The Venezuelan Army, officially the Bolivarian Army of Venezuela (Spanish: Ejército Bolivariano), is the land arm of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela.[2] Also known as Bolivarian Army (Ejército Bolivariano, EB), its role is to be responsible for land-based operations against external or internal threats that may put the sovereignty of the nation at risk. The army is the second largest military branch of Venezuela after the Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana, MB).[2]
The command officers, troop officers, technicians and military surgeons belonging to the Venezuelan Army are graduates of the military academies of the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela and are commissioned with the rank of Second Lieutenant, the academies are as follows:
Unlike most of the officer corps the sergeants (professional NCOs) and recruits completing basic training, as well as Army officer candidates of civilian background, study in separate schools.[3]
The Venezuelan Army marks its birth by its victory in the Battle of Carabobo on 24 June 1821 over the Empire of Spain, which led to the independence of the nation. It later contributed to the independence of the present-day countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia.
With the beginning of the independence movement on 19 April 1810 and the subsequent war in the country, a military academy was created in 1810 by decree of the Supreme Board of Caracas for the training of officers for the Republican cause. The Royalist reaction was fast and by 1812 the First Republic was dissolved. A war to the death begun (guerra a muerte), with neither side giving quarter. On 11 April 1817, 1,800 Republicans under General Píer won a major victory against the Royalists at San Félix (southeast of Caracas), where the revolutionaries defeated 1,500 Royalists under General Nicolás María Cerruti. The Royalists suffered 593 dead and 497 captured, of whom 160 peninsulares (Spaniards born in the Iberian Peninsula). All of the Spaniards were decapitated. The Republicans lost 31 dead and 65 wounded.
The war continued until 1824 with successes and failures on each side. On 7 August 1819, the army of New Granada, under the command of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, defeats the Royalist troops under the command of General José María Barreiro in the Battle of Boyacá, being the first republic of the so-called Bolivarianas (Bolivarians) to obtain their independence of the Kingdom of Spain; a day that also celebrates the Colombian Army.
The liberating army, whose central nucleus are the infantry battalions of Rifles, Voltígeros, Vencedores, the British Legion, plus the contingents of the lancersBravos de Apure of General José Antonio Páez, and whose contingents are made up mainly of Colombian-Venezuelan troops under the supreme leadership of Bolívar, are now waging the Venezuelan campaign as part of Gran Colombia. On 24 June 1821, the Republicans obtained a decisive victory over the Royalists in the battle at Campo de Carabobo, and today is celebrated as the day of the Venezuelan Army.
After the Battle of Carabobo, the remnants of the Royalist armies that managed to escape from the battlefield took refuge in Puerto Cabello, while in the east they did the same in Cumaná. Cumaná was taken shortly after by the Republicans, but the heavily fortified city of Puerto Cabello resisted under siege until 1823, during which time it served as the base for the Spanish reconquest of territories in western Venezuela.
After the army fought in the Gran Colombia–Peru War (1828-1829), and once Venezuela separated from Gran Colombia in 1830, the country went through periods of great instability and civil wars throughout the 19th century, which led to the end of the professional army and in its place emerged the figure of the regional leader (caudillo) who organized their montoneras (irregular militia) to fight in internal civil wars.
This precarious situation ended when in 1899 Cipriano Castro took power as president and once again lays the foundations for a professional army, which his successor Juan Vicente Gómez deepens.
20th century
The army followed a growing line of modernization and professionalization throughout the 20th century, under the Prussian model. After the death of Gómez and the instability that followed, the army took sides in the politics of the time, with a dominance of militaristic sectors in the country's politics in the period 1940-1958, with the army carrying out three coups d'état in 1945, 1948 and in 1958 ending the dictatorship of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez, within the framework of the Cold War.
T-72B1V tanks of the Venezuelan Army during a parade in homage to the death of former president Hugo Chávez, March 2014.
In the 21st century, the Venezuelan Army has experienced unprecedented growth, incorporating war a big influx of material, mostly from Russia, in almost all segments of its arsenal, allowing an almost total modernization of the force. In the last three decades, it has had to face the spillover into Venezuela of the Colombian internal conflict; and sometimes being put on alert due to tensions between Caracas and Bogotá.[4][5]
Contribute to the establishment of democratic institutions and build up respect and full compliance to the laws of the Republic as mandated,
Support national development and integration,
And to participate in programs of international cooperation and peacekeeping.
Functions of the Army
In accordance with the Article 9 of the National Armed Forces Organic Law as amended, the functions of the Army are to
Organize, train and equip units for ground forces operations
Establish doctrines for the various operations it has to undertake
Participate in military mobilization programs
Maintain the national borders
And actively achieve readiness to develop technologies and scientifical advances for the advancement of national defense
Official hymn
Spanish lyrics
Chorus
Adelante marchemos, valientes, al combate y al rudo fragor
por la patria muy altas las frentes, despleguemos pujanza y valor.
Por la patria muy altas las frentes, despleguemos pujanza y valor.
Nuestra sangre es la savia del pueblo y en el pueblo se plasma en canción
es la rosa más pura del viento que en la historia da brillo a la acción,
En las aguas, el aire y la tierra la victoria es el alba inmortal,
si sublime es el triunfo en la guerra, preservemos la gloria y la paz.
Chorus
Y si el brazo extranjero se atreve a infamar de este suelo el honor
antes muerte mil veces nos llegue que rendirnos al torpe invasor,
pues de todas las patrias que el cielo diera al hombre en morada de amor,
es la nuestra el más hondo desvelo en el sueño de un mundo mejor.
Chorus
Equipment
Organization
The Venezuelan Army is divided into 4 main commands and 6 army divisions as well as other independent units reporting to Headquarters, Venezuelan Army. The Army's Air Defense Artillery Brigades also report directly, as part of the Venezuelan Air Force Air Defense Forces Command, to the Operational Strategic Command for national defense purposes in air defense matters.
922nd Armor Battalion "Victors of Araure" (Ranger)
923rd Ranger Battalion
926th Field Artillery Battalion "Battle of Ayacucho" (Ranger)
927th Air Defense Artillery Battalion
9202nd Cavalry Troop
93rd Caribbean Ranger Brigade (Mechanized)
Brigade HQ
931st Infantry Battalion
932nd Ranger Battalion
933rd Ranger Battalion
934th Infantry Battalion
937th Ranger Battalion
9302nd Cavalry Troop
94th Brigade Combat Team[14]
905th Combat Engineers Battalion
UAV Battalion "Apure Patriots"
6th Corps of Engineers
Corps HQ
HQ Battalion
61st Engineers Training Brigade
Brigade HQ
611th Engineer Battalion
612th Engineer Training Battalion
613th Engineer Training Battalion
614th Engineer Training Battalion
62nd Construction and Maintenance Regiment
Regiment HQ
621st Engineer Training Battalion
622nd Engineer Battalion
63rd Construction and Maintenance Regiment
Regiment HQ
631st Engineer Battalion
632nd Engineer Training Battalion
64th Railroad Engineering Brigade
Brigade HQ
641st Railroad Engineer Battalion
642nd Railroad Engineer Battalion
643rd Railroad Engineer Battalion
Ranks
Commanding Generals of the Army
(*): Marks promotion to the rank of full General (and appointment as Minister of Defense) after serving term as Commanding General of the Army
References
^"2019 Venezuela Military Strength". Global Firepower. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
^ a b"Ley Orgánica de la FANB" (PDF). Gazeta Oficial de la Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela (in Spanish).
^"Decreto Presidencial N° 7.662 Artículo 1". Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela (in Spanish). 39 (502). 3 September 2010.
^Fernandez, Alvaro Suzzarini (17 April 2021). "ANALYSIS - What is happening on the Colombian-Venezuelan border?". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
^"Colombia despliega militares en la frontera con Venezuela". CubaNet (in Spanish). 24 February 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
^Pasquali, Marina (8 September 2020). "Countries with the largest number of active military personnel in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019". Statista. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
^"venezuela-enfrentamientos-entre-fuerzas-especiales-grupos". defensa.com. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^ a b"Venezuela Defensa – Dubai, UAE". Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"La Fuerza Armada de Venezuela crea la 34ª Brigada de Comunicaciones Estratégicas | FAV Club". Archived from the original on 7 July 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
^"Asume funciones nuevo Comandante de la 3ª División de Infantería del Ejército | Diariovea". Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"La 43ª Brigada de Artillería del Ejército venezolano se potencia con nuevas unidades y material ruso | Infodefensa". Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"Venezuela Defensa – Dubai, UAE". Archived from the original on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^"Venezuela activa una nueva brigada y zona operativa para combatir a grupos irregulares - Noticias Infodefensa América". 6 April 2021.
^"Grados de Generales y Almirantes". ejercito.mil.ve. Government of Venezuela. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019.
^"Grados de Oficiales Superiores". ejercito.mil.ve. Government of Venezuela. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019.
^"Grados de Oficiales Subalternos". ejercito.mil.ve. Government of Venezuela. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019.
^"Jerarquías de la Tropa Profesional". ejercito.mil.ve. Government of Venezuela. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Army of Venezuela.
(in Spanish) Sitio oficial del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Defensa de Venezuela
(in Spanish) Sitio oficial del Ejército Libertador (Venezuela)
(in Spanish) Sitio oficial de la Aviación del Ejército del Venezuela