Just as necessary changes must occur in all areas of national life, a transition and reorganization process for Venezuela’s defense sector is crucial to restoring the National Armed Forces (FAN).
This was stated by military sources to Venezuela Política, which propose a strategic plan for the deep restructuring of the FAN during a six-month transition period. This begins with the appointment of civilian leaders in the Ministry of Defense and the disbandment of irregular groups like the militia.
Moreover, they suggest a process for selecting military authorities, characterized by rigor, ethics, and professional merit to recover honest officers and cleanse the institution from political or criminal influences.
They also warn about the need to draft and implement a national disarmament decree, as well as the cleansing of police command structures to restore public order. According to our source, the ultimate goal is to return autonomy and institutional prestige to the military forces, distancing them from partisan interests and returning them to their constitutional framework.
Transition and Reorganization of the Defense Sector: Re-institutionalizing the FAN
The strategic proposal for the transition and reorganization of the defense sector aimed at the re-institutionalization of the FAN over a projected six-month period, presented by military sources to Venezuela Política, has as its central objective redirecting the institution toward its constitutional mission. This necessarily involves removing all partisan influence and sanitizing its structures from personal, political, or criminal interests.
It is emphasized that the fundamental pillars of this transition include appointing civilian authorities in the Ministry of Defense, a thorough evaluation of military personnel through national professional committees, restructuring the Strategic Operational Command (CEOFAN), disbanding the Bolivarian Militia, and implementing a national disarmament decree.
Recovering professionals with strong ethical values and removing commanders linked to human rights violations is essential. This involves ensuring the stability of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and the Bolivarian National Police (PNB) under new leadership.
Legal and Administrative Framework of the Transition
Sources from Venezuela Política stress that the transition and reorganization of the defense sector requires immediate legal adjustments to align with constitutional precepts.
The process is estimated to take six months and includes critical legislative and administrative actions:
Legislative Reforms: It is imperative to modify the Organic Law of the National Armed Forces (LOFAN) and the Organic Law of National Security.
Evaluation Committee: Create a committee of professionals to individually assess generals, admirals, and senior officers. The goal is to identify those with the necessary credentials and moral standing to lead military units during the transition.
Autonomy in Advisory Roles: Reject the involvement of foreign advisors. Solutions to the FAN’s issues must come from its own members, who have tangible knowledge of the institution.
Sanitization of Units: An urgent review of military units at all levels—strategic and tactical—is required, dissolving those created for personal, political, or criminal reasons that do not serve state interests.
New Structure of the Ministry of Defense
The proposal outlines a civilian leadership for the Ministry of Defense, which governs the military sector, during the six-month period:
Civil Leadership: The Minister of Defense should be a civilian knowledgeable about the sector, supported by Venezuelan advisors (active, retired military, and civilians).
Deputy Ministries: These will be headed by civilian personnel with sector knowledge, assisted by a military counterpart.
Control and Justice Bodies: The General Comptroller of the FAN, the General Inspectorate, and the Military Justice System—Courts, Martial Court, Prosecutor’s Office, and Defense Attorney—should be led by generals, admirals, or colonels with seniority, chosen based on merit and moral authority.
Reorganization of the Strategic Operational Command (CEOFAN)
Another crucial reform must occur within the operational branch of the FAN, namely, the Strategic Operational Command (CEOFAN), which requires a redefinition of its roles and the elimination of ideologized components:
The restructuring and review of CEOFAN includes appointing an active general or admiral with a qualified service record as its commander.
In addition, the Strategic Defense Regions and Zones—REDI and ZODI—will undergo a thorough review of their missions, functions, and structures.
Likewise, the traditional components of the FAN, meaning the Army, Navy, Aviation, and Bolivarian National Guard, will enter a process of reorganization and adjustment of their units.
It is essential to definitively eliminate both the Bolivarian Militia and the Integral Defense Areas (ADI), as they are linked to militia structures.
Citizen Security, Public Order, and Disarmament
The transition and reorganization plan for the defense sector stresses that the country’s stability during this period will depend on the response capacity against organized crime and irregular groups:
GNB and PNB: Both institutions are responsible for citizen security and public order. Current leaders linked to negative instructions or human rights violations must be removed, while officials willing to maintain peace should be retained.
Disarmament Decree: Implement a total disarmament decree and suspend gun possession for the general population. This stipulates that no citizen, military member, or official may possess weapons outside of duly supported service acts. Additionally, weapons must be secured in military and police armories. Any armed individual off-duty will be regarded as part of criminal gangs or collectives.
DAEX Control: The General Directorate of Arms and Explosives (DAEX) currently provides weapons and credentials to citizens and irregular organizations, which must be corrected.
Human Factor and Institutional Ethics
The proposal highlights that the deterioration of the FAN stems from its use as a means of business and the predominance of political bias over professional merit.
Therefore, the profile of transitional leaders demands they be officers with professional merits, managerial knowledge, and, fundamentally, significant moral authority within the institution.
Recovering talented professionals is vital, necessitating the reinstatement of senior officers—majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels with no more than five years of retirement—who left voluntarily and possess solid ethical foundations and economic stability, following an individual evaluation.
The transition aims to reclaim qualified and morally sound professionals who currently feel belittled, allowing the FAN to regain its true purpose.