It is essential —urgent— to separate the National Bolivarian Armed Force from political involvement, as its current structure requires review and evaluation to align it with national development.
This warning comes from military sources to Venezuela Política, emphasizing the need to establish a new FAN, similar to those in many countries, that enables growth by being completely separated from political participation.
In this article, we reveal the geographical location of each regional headquarters and list the various specialized units, naval bases, and defense systems that make up the military presence in every state of Venezuela.
The National Bolivarian Armed Forces are divided into an administrative branch managed by the Ministry of Defense and an operational branch led by the Strategic Operational Command (CEOFANB), an institutional framework based on a hierarchical territorial deployment that includes eight Strategic Regions of Integral Defense (REDI) and twenty-nine Integral Defense Operational Zones (ZODI) distributed throughout the country.
The senior leaders of these units not only command military components but also exert operational control over various citizen security agencies and intelligence services.
Organizational Structure of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces
The process of detaching the National Bolivarian Armed Force from political involvement involves reviewing the current structure of the FANB, characterized by a dual organization that separates administrative from operational functions.
Under the central headquarters in Fuerte Tiuna, the Ministry of People’s Power for Defense (MPPD) manages administration, while the Strategic Operational Command of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (CEOFANB) oversees operational defense.
A military source from Venezuela Política highlights the current critical deployment aspect, which is the territorialization of defense through eight Strategic Regions of Integral Defense (REDI) and 29 Integral Defense Operational Zones (ZODI).
This structure not only coordinates military units from all components, namely, Army, Navy, Aviation, GNB, and Militia, but also exerts operational control over citizen security agencies, including police forces and intelligence services like SEBIN and DGCIM.
A thorough review is necessary to ensure that the Venezuelan military institution remains professional, focused on national development, and completely detached from political participation.
Central Organizational Structure
The FANB operates under a command division designed to segment management and combat responsibilities.
On one side, there is the administrative arm led by the Ministry of People’s Power for Defense (MPPD), responsible for resource management, personnel, and planning.
Also, there is the Superior General Staff composed of:
Deputy Ministries: services, personnel and logistics; military education; and military planning and development.
Control Organs: General Comptroller of the FANB and General Inspectorate of the FANB.
Military Justice System: integrates the Military Court, Military Prosecutor’s Office, and Military Defender’s Office.
Component Commands: leadership of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), and Militia.
On the other side, there is the operational defense arm CEOFANB, responsible for executing military operations.
Its current structure has peculiarities in leadership and composition:
Leadership: the command is held by a general recently retired but kept on active duty. The second-in-command and chief of Staff, also a Major General in the same situation, is active by higher decision.
Joint Chief of Staff: composed of generals and admirals from various components, specialties, arms, and services.
Territorial Integral Defense Model
Our source explains that the operational deployment of the FANB is articulated through a territorial hierarchy that guarantees military and civil control across the country.
Strategic Regions of Integral Defense (REDI)
There are eight REDI, commanded by a Major General or Admiral. Their authority encompasses:
The command of all military units (operational and administrative) of three or more states.
The operational control of Citizen Security Agencies, which includes PNB, state and municipal police, Civil Protection, Firefighters, SEBIN, DGCIM, and CICPC.
Integral Defense Operational Zones (ZODI)
There are 29 ZODI, under the command of a Major General or Vice-Admiral —the most senior in the state— which have similar responsibilities to the REDI, but on a state level. They oversee both military units and citizen security agencies within their jurisdiction.
Below is the distribution of ZODI according to their affiliation with the respective REDI:
REDIHeadquartersIntegral Defense Operational Zones (ZODI) affiliated1. WestZuliaZulia (11), Lara (12), Falcón (13)2. The AndesTáchiraTáchira (21), Mérida (22), Trujillo (23)3. The PlainsGuáricoApure (31), Barinas (32), Portuguesa (33), Cojedes (34), Guárico (35)4. CentralCaraboboYaracuy (42), Aragua (44), Carabobo (45)5. OrientalAnzoáteguiMonagas (51), Anzoátegui (52), Sucre (53)6. GuayanaBolívarDelta Amacuro (61), Bolívar (62), Amazonas (63), Guayana Esequiba (64)7. Maritime and InsularNueva EspartaNueva Esparta (71), M. I. Occidental (72), M. I. Central (73), M. I. Oriental (74), M. I. Atlántica (75)8. CapitalDistrito CapitalDistrito Capital (81), La Guaira (82), Miranda (83)
The deployment in each state is not uniform but adapts to strategic needs through the presence of specialized units:
Army: brigades of different arms and services.
Aerospace Defense (CODAI): brigades composed of radar systems and missile systems.
Naval and Air Forces: air bases, air groups, naval bases, outposts, and coast guard stations (both maritime and fluvial).
Elite Units: Special Forces Units.
Thematic Units: groups specialized in Anti-drugs, Anti-extortion, and Anti-terrorism.
Review Recommendations
The source from Venezuela Política emphasizes that detaching the National Bolivarian Armed Force from political involvement requires restructuring the military sector. While the current structure has allowed an extensive deployment across the national territory, there are areas that require immediate evaluation, including:
Structure Evaluation: the current organization should be reviewed to identify necessary adjustments that promote national development and a new FAN.
Political Neutrality: it critically emphasizes that the military structure must be entirely separated from political involvement.
Leadership and Military Career: the continuation in command positions of officers whose promotions have already retired should be reassessed. Succession and active retention policies need to be reviewed.
Civic-Military Security Integration: the subjugation of citizen security agencies —police and intelligence— to military operational control (REDI/ZODI) is a fundamental pillar of the current model that defines the relationship between military power and internal security. This relationship must be restructured since citizen security should come under civil, not military, control.
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