Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López reported that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) will continue to intensify military operations, in order to neutralize any refuge for Colombian irregular groups in Venezuelan territory, emphatically emphasizing that they will not take rest in their respective actions of combat until achieving that these terrorist are defeated and expelled in a definitive way in defense of the national sovereignty until “consolidating an absolutely free Apure state”.
Through his official account of the social network twitter @vladimirpadrino, Padrino López wrote: “Apure is ours! Nothing and nobody will stop us in determination to guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the homeland. The union of people and FANB is the key to blocking the alleged export of the Colombian paramilitary narco model and its oligarchy ”.
In the aforementioned tweet, the head of the Ministry of Defense attached an official statement, which offers a balance of the fighting staged in not inhabited sectors located west of La Victoria, Páez municipality of Apure state, in the last 72 hours, as part of Operation Bolivarian Shield 2021, where there is talk of a “significant number of casualties of the Colombian armed groups”, destruction of temporary facilities, capture of various subjects, who provide important information and the death of some of the troops of our heroic Bolivarian National Armed Force.
Here is the full text of the official statement published on the website of the Ministry for Defense:
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION OF THE BOLIVARIAN NATIONAL ARMED FORCE
The Bolivarian National Armed Forces reports that in the last seventy-two (72) hours bloody combats have been taking place with Colombian irregular armed groups, specifically in uninhabited sectors to the west of La Victoria, Páez municipality of Apure state; as part of the Bolivarian Shield 2021 operation, which began on March 21, 2016.
In such confrontations we have inflicted a significant number of casualties on the aforementioned groups, achieving the destruction of temporary facilities that they intended to use for their criminal activities; in the same way, several subjects were captured who are providing valuable information for future actions.
Unfortunately some of our troops also died whose bodies are being identified through the corresponding autopsy; Likewise, others were injured and receive due medical attention in the military and public health network. We exalt the courage, honor and patriotic love of such distinguished soldiers, who offered and continue to risk their lives in defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation.
It is imperative to remember that these criminal and terrorist organizations act with the support of the powerful financing structure available to the Colombian oligarchy, which has the nefarious purpose of exporting its paramilitary drug model to our country, especially along the border axis, to in order to create a diffuse territory that serves as a basis for generating destabilization.
We reiterate the firm decision to consolidate an absolutely free Apure state, restoring peace and tranquility to the inhabitants of the area. In this sense, by precise orders of the citizen Nicolás Maduro Moros, Constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, our Commander-in-Chief, we will continue and intensify the military operations that allow us to neutralize any stronghold of these criminals, whom we will fight tirelessly with all the moral and material strengths until their total expulsion and final defeat.
Chávez lives … The Homeland continues!
Independence and Socialist Homeland … We will live and win!
Independence or nothing!
Always loyal … Never traitors!
The Sun of Venezuela is born in the Essequibo!
Caracas, April 26, 2021
VLADIMIR PADRINO LÓPEZ
