COMMUNIQUÉ

BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and population, in civilian and military locations in the city of Caracas, capital of the Republic, and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. This act constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, especially Articles 1 and 2, which enshrine respect for sovereignty, the juridical equality of States, and the prohibition of the use of force. Such aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, and places the lives of millions of people at grave risk.

The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, in particular its oil and minerals, attempting to break by force the political independence of the Nation. They will not succeed. After more than two hundred years of independence, the people and their legitimate Government remain steadfast in defence of sovereignty and of the inalienable right to decide their own destiny. The attempt to impose a colonial war to destroy the republican form of government and force a “regime change”, in alliance with the fascist oligarchy, will fail like all previous attempts.

Since 1811, Venezuela has confronted and defeated empires. When, in 1902, foreign powers bombarded our coasts, President Cipriano Castro proclaimed:

“The insolent foot of the foreigner has profaned the sacred soil of the Homeland.”

Today, with the morale of Bolívar, Miranda, and our liberators, the Venezuelan people rise once again to defend their independence against imperial aggression.

People to the streets

The Bolivarian Government calls on all the country’s social and political forces to activate mobilisation plans and repudiate this imperialist attack. The people of Venezuela and their Bolivarian National Armed Force, in perfect popular–military–police fusion, are deployed to guarantee sovereignty and peace. At the same time, Bolivarian diplomacy for peace will submit the corresponding complaints before the UN Security Council, the Secretary-General of that organisation, CELAC, and the Non-Aligned Movement (MNOAL), demanding condemnation and accountability from the United States Government.

President Nicolás Maduro has ordered all national defence plans to be implemented at the appropriate time and under appropriate circumstances, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Organic Law on States of Exception, and the Organic Law on Security of the Nation.

In this regard, President Nicolás Maduro has signed and ordered the implementation of the Decree declaring a State of External Emergency (Conmoción Exterior) throughout the national territory, to protect the rights of the population, the full functioning of republican institutions, and to move immediately to armed struggle. The entire country must be activated to defeat this imperialist aggression.

Likewise, he has ordered the immediate deployment of the Command for the Integral Defence of the Nation and the Management Bodies for Integral Defence in all the states and municipalities of the country.

In strict accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, Venezuela reserves the right to exercise legitimate self-defence to protect its people, its territory, and its independence. We call on the peoples and governments of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world to mobilise in active solidarity against this imperial aggression.

As Supreme Commander Hugo Chávez Frías stated:

“In any circumstance of new difficulties, whatever their magnitude, the response of all patriots is unity, struggle, battle, and victory.”

Caracas, 3 January 2025