The enlistment campaign called this weekend by dictator Nicolás Maduro to strengthen the Bolivarian Militia ended with deserted public squares in numerous Venezuelan states, according to various reports from opposition leaders, activists and press correspondents. The objective, announced by the Chavista regime as part of the"National Plan for Sovereignty and Peace," was to recruit reservists and citizens following the recent deployment of U.S. warships in Caribbean waters to combat drug trafficking.
From regions such as Táchira, Vargas, Mérida, Trujillo, Barinas, Delta Amacuro and Zulia, images and testimonies showed Plaza Bolívar and military spaces completely empty, without the presence of militiamen or volunteers. Despite the intense promotion and calls made by Maduro in state media, the event lacked the expected turnout, evidencing, once again, a lack of popular response to the official mobilization discourse.
Maduro had urged citizens to show up to"take a step forward to tell imperialism: enough with your threats," referring to the deployment of a US naval group to the region, an action that Chavismo has presented as an act of foreign"aggression." In a recent speech, Maduro claimed to have 4.5 million militia members across the country, a figure questioned by opponents and independent organizations, especially given the low turnout observed during the day.
The Bolivarian Militia, an armed civilian body created to support the Venezuelan army, is part of the defense apparatus implemented by the regime since 2013. On this occasion, the call is part of the Venezuelan response to the increase in the reward, by the United States, to 50 million dollars for information leading to the capture of the dictator Maduro and high-ranking officials of the regime for their links to drug trafficking.
The absence of citizens in public squares was interpreted by political and social actors as a sign of the population's growing weariness. Opposition leader María Corina Machado declared on social media:"Today, once again, the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people prevail. The empty squares throughout Venezuela today herald the approaching future. Do not be afraid. You are not alone. They are."
From political organizations such as Vente Barinas, the reaction also pointed to the discredit of the event in emblematic places: “This plaza is named after Hugo Chávez and not even for that reason in his native Sabaneta did they manage to get the people to come out to this new farce called by the regime.”
The massive non-attendance highlights the distance between citizens and the official narrative. Despite promoting the defense of national sovereignty and resistance to"imperialist threats," the calls mobilized neither volunteers nor reservists, not even in spaces traditionally associated with Chavismo.
The national context explains part of the disconnect. Venezuela faces a prolonged economic and social crisis, characterized by hyperinflation, shortages of medicine and food, and the emigration of more than 7 million people since 2014. Additionally, following the fraudulent July 2024 elections, the Maduro regime has intensified political repression, adding thousands of arrests according to data from the NGO Foro Penal.
The deployment of U.S. ships in the Caribbean, which began on August 14 according to Reuters, was framed by the Pentagon as part of regional counternarcotics operations and not as an intervention against the Venezuelan regime. However, Chavismo insists on presenting the situation as an imminent threat to national sovereignty, reiterating the need to mobilize"patriotic forces."
The opposition's reaction focused on highlighting the ruling party's isolation due to the lack of popular support. Spokespeople for citizen platforms such as Comando Con Venezuela stated:"Catia La Mar, Carayaca, El Junko. No one in Vargas lent themselves to Maduro's farce today. No Venezuelan is lining up with criminals."
The failure of the enlistment campaign deepens the weakening of the mobilizing discourse, amid a multidimensional crisis that compromises the stability and institutional support of the dictatorship, while Venezuelan society faces new uncertainties about its political and social future.
