Mission
According to the Article 46 of the organic law establishing the Militia, its functions are: * Enlist, organize, equip, instruct, train and retrain formed units of the National Bolivarian Militia; * Establish permanent links between the National Bolivarian Armed Forces and the Venezuelan people, in order to contribute to ensuring the overall defence of Venezuela; * Organize and train the Territorial Militia's personnel and unit to implement the comprehensive defense operations to ensure the defense of sovereignty and national independence; * Contribute to the Operational Strategic Command, in the development and implementation of plans for integral defence of the Nation and National Mobilization; * Participate and contribute to the development of technology and military industry, without restrictions other than those provided for in the Constitution of the Republic and the laws; * Guide, coordinate and support community councils in the areas of competence in order to assist in the implementation of public policies; * Contribute and advise on the establishment and consolidation of integral defence committees of communal councils in order to strengthen the civil-military union; * Collect, process and disseminate information and consolidation of community councils, public institutions and private sector, necessary for the development of plans, programs, projects of integral development of the Nation and National Mobilization; * Coordinate with the organs, bodies and agencies of the public and private sectors, the creation and organization of the Combatant Corps, which administratively depend thereon, in order to contribute to the overall defence of the Nation; supervise and train the Combatant Corps, which report directly to Headquarters, National Militia, * Other duties specified by laws and regulations of the Republic as authorized by proper authorities and enacted by the National Assembly.Organization
The General Command of the National Militia is divided in three branches of its own plus a fourth branch divided into the first two: * The National Reserve Service, consisting of all Venezuelan citizens who are not in active military service, or have completed national military service, or who voluntarily join the reserve units (all active reserve units are not part of the NM but of the service branches of the NAF) * The Territorial Guard Component, consisting of all Venezuelan citizens who voluntarily serve to organize local resistance to any external threat to the nation. These are divided into the Special Resistance Combatant Corps, aimed at the wartime and peacetime defense of public institutions and state and private enterprises, and the Workers' Territorial Militia Components divided into: ** General Employment Militia Detachments, the mobile quick action component stationed in all the states of Venezuela, metropolitan areas and cities ** Territorial Employment Militia Battalions, stationed strategically in key cities and townships in Venezuela and areas of key importance ** Community Militia Detachments, stationed in all townships and cities in all the states of Venezuela, mandated to keep the public order and defend government institutions and economical assets like factories ** Rural Employment Militia Battalions, stationed in all public farmlands * The People's Navy Branch, raised in 2013, which is theControversy
The National Boliviarian Militia has been described as a "political army" created by Hugo Chávez that has hundreds of thousands of members in service, including military reservists and employees of state and public enterprises at all levels. The militia is "under the direct command of the president" as the Commander in Chief of the National Armed Forces (through the authority of the Defense Minister and the Commandant of the Operational Strategic Command) and "are trained to defend the (Bolivarian) revolution of internal and external enemies". It has been alleged by '' El Mundo'' that the militia has sometimes used "violence to silence dissent or journalists who do not bow to the discourse of the regime".Ranks
Equipment of the National Militia
Infantry weapons
See also
*References
External links
*