Venezuelan Militia To Become Part Of National Bolivarian Armed Forces - Maduro

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2019) Venezuela will amend its legislation in order to make the militia a part of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in his address on Sunday.

Earlier in the month, Maduro said that the number of Venezuelan militia officers would be increased from 2.1 million to 3 million by December of 2019.

"Comandante Chavez has dreamed of a powerful and great militia .... The militia will receive a constitutional rank as a full-fledged part of the country's Armed Forces," Maduro said adding that the legislation would be amended for this move.

The decision comes on the hills of a deep political crisis in Venezuela, which has recently entered its third month. The turmoil began in January, when US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself Venezuela's interim president. Incumbent President Maduro, supported by China and Russia, among others, accused Guaido of plotting to overthrow him with backing from Washington.�