The Venezuelan Bolivarian Marine Corps are known as the Bolivarian Marine Infantry or formally as the ''Marine Division "General Simon Bolivar"'' (''División de Infantería de Marina General Simón Bolívar'') and is part of the

Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela ) , mascot = , battles = Venezuelan War of Independence and the Battle of Lake Maracaibo , anniversaries = July 24, Birthday of Simon Bolivar, Navy Day and Battle of Lake Maracaibo ...

. Its motto is: ''Valor y Lealtad'' (Valor and Loyalty).

History

Nineteenth century

The Venezuelan Marines trace their history back to the combined marines corps of

Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), or Greater Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia ( Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to ...

which was formed in 1822 and was dissolved in 1829 following Venezuela's secession from Gran Colombia. This was surprising as the Marine Corps of the Confederation largely consisted of Venezuelans. The Marines' most notable engagement in this era was the

Battle of Lake Maracaibo The Battle of Lake Maracaibo also known as the "Naval Battle of the Lake" was fought on 24 July 1823 on Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo between fleets under the commands of Republican Admiral José Prudencio Padilla and royalist Captain Ángel Lab ...

(1823). During this time the Marines were mostly manned by personnel by the Grand Colombian Army, and used army-style ranks while wearing naval uniforms.

Twentieth century

In the beginning of the 20th century, during the term of President

Cipriano Castro José Cipriano Castro Ruiz (12 October 1858 – 4 December 1924) was a high-ranking member of the Venezuelan military, politician and the president of Venezuela from 1899 to 1908. He was the first man from the Andes to rule the country, and was ...

, the Navy had a marine artillery command manned by Venezuelan Army personnel tasked to provide artillery crews aboard its vessels. After years of inactivity the Venezuelan Marines were finally reformed at

Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello () is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State, about 210 km west of Caracas. As of 2011, the city had a population of around 182,400. The city is home to the largest and busiest port in the coun ...

on 1 July 1938 when a company was formed to provide ships detachments. A second company was formed on 8 December 1939 and a third in 1943. They were then merged into the 1st Marine Battalion (Battalion de Infanteria de Marina -BIM) ''Simon Bolivar'', headquartered at Puerto Cabello, on 11 December 1945. This date is looked upon as the official anniversary of the marines. In February 1946 a second BIM ''General Rafael Urdaneta'' was raised at Puerto Cabello and the original BIM became the 1st battalion and was then moved to Marquetia. Marine headquarters was then located in

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in th ...

. The third Battalion ''Mariscal Antonio Jose de Sucre'' was then formed up in 1958 at Carupano, the very same year the Marines became a full command of the Navy. In the late 1970s the Amphibious Assault Company, equipped with

LVTP-7 The Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV)—official designation AAVP-7A1 (formerly known as Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel-7 abbr. LVTP-7)—is a fully tracked amphibious vehicle, amphibious landing vehicle manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Ar ...

s and the Marine Anti-Aircraft Artillery Company, equipped with

M42 Duster The M42 40 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun, or "Duster," is an American armored light air-defense gun built for the United States Army from 1952 until December 1960, in service until 1988. Production of this vehicle was performed by the ...

s, were raised. The 4th Battalion ''General Francisco de Miranda'' was raised in the early 1980s and initially consisted of the Amphibious Assault Company and the Marine Anti-Aircraft Artillery Company. In June 1962, the 2nd Marine Battalion at Puerto Cabello rebelled. The rebellion was put down by the navy and other marines from the 1st and 3rd Marine Battalions. Between 1975 and 1994 the marines underwent two new adjustments to its organization. On 11 December 2000, by presidential decree, the Marine Infantry were honored with the name ''Gen. Simón Bolívar Marine Division''. On 15 October 2003 the Naval Police Command Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho was integrated into the ranks and organization of the Marines. On 5 April 2005, the Marine Corps of Engineers, was activated and was later placed directly under the General Command of the Navy by Presidential Resolution No. DG-031,764 dated 21 July 2005. In turn, the Naval Police Brigade "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Antonio José de Sucre" was formally reestablished as the Naval Police Command ceasing its dependence on the Division and remained attached to the Naval Operations Command directly.

Organization

Headquartered in Meseta de Mamo, Vargas, the estimated numerical strength of this unit is of approx. 11,000 men and women. Its mission is to "enlist and direct its units in order to form the disembarking force and/or support of amphibious or special operations; executing naval safeguarding and environmental policing, as well as actively participating in the national development". It is divided into 9 active brigades and a headquarters unit. As of 2020, Vice Admiral Luis Somaza Chacón is the current

commandant Commandant ( or ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ran ...

of the Marine Corps.

Major Units

* Headquarters Battalion * Marine Communications Battalion CDR Felipe Baptista * Marine Logistics Support Battalion ADM Luis Brión * 393rd Marine Air Defense Artillery Battalion RADM José María García * Marine Corps Basic School * Marine Special Operations School CPT Rafael Francisco Rodríguez * 8th Marine Special Operations Command Brigade Generalissimo

Francisco de Miranda Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (28 March 1750 – 14 July 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (), was a Venezuelan military leader and revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spani ...

** HQ and Service Company ** 81st Marine Special Operations (Commando) Battalion LTCDR Henry Lilong Garcia ** 82nd Marine Force Reconnaissance Battalion GC Jose Felix Ribas ** 83rd Marine Combat Engineers Battalion Chief

Guaicaipuro Cacique Guaicaipuro was a legendary native (indigenous) Venezuelan chief of both the Teques and Caracas tribes. Though known today as Guaicaipuro, in documents of the time his name was written Guacaipuro.http://www.saber.ula.ve/bitstream/handle/ ...

** 84th Marine Special Operations Support Battalion Juan German Roscio * Naval and Marine Reserve and Marine Replacement Regiment RADM Armando López Conde ** Regimental HQ ** Naval Reserve Battalion Battle of Chichiriviche ** Naval Reserve Battalion Battle of Punta Brava ** Naval Reserve Battalion Expedición de la Vela de Coro ** Naval Reserve Battalion Expedición de Los Cayos ** 1st Marine Reserve Battalion 1st Marine Brigade (Amphibious) CPT Manuel Ponte Rodriguez * Brigade HQ and Service Company * 11th Marine Battalion GEN

Rafael Urdaneta Rafael José Urdaneta y Farías (October 24, 1788 – August 23, 1845) was a Venezuelan General and hero of the Spanish American wars of independence. He served as President of Gran Colombia from 1830 until 1831. He was an ardent supporter ...

* 12nd Marine Battalion (Assault Amphibian) LCDR Manuel Ponce Lugo * 13th Marine Field Artillery Battalion LTGEN Agustín Codazzi * 14th Marine Logistics Battalion RADM José Ramón Yépez 2nd Marine Brigade (Amphibious) RADM José Eugenio Hernández * Brigade HQ and Service Company * 21st Marine Battalion MSHL

Antonio José de Sucre Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ( en, "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho"), was a Venezuelan independence leader who served as the president of Peru and as the second p ...

* 22nd Marine Battalion GEN

Santiago Mariño Santiago Mariño Carige Fitzgerald (25 July 1788 in Valle Espíritu Santo, Margarita – 4 September 1854 in La Victoria, Aragua), was a nineteenth-century Venezuelan revolutionary leader and hero in the Venezuelan War of Independence (1811� ...

* 23rd Marine Battalion LTGEN José Francisco Bermudez * 24th Marine Logistics Battalion GEN

Juan Bautista Arismendi Juan Bautista Arismendi (March 15, 1775 – June 22, 1841) was a Venezuelan patriot and general of the Venezuelan War of Independence. He is buried in the National Pantheon of Venezuela. Arismendi was born in La Asuncion, Isla Margarita in 1775 ...

* 25th Marine Field Artillery Battalion LTGEN Juan Antonio Anzoategui 3rd Marine Brigade (Amphibious) MGEN

Manuela Saenz Manuela may refer to: People * Manuela (given name), a Spanish and Portuguese feminine given name * Manuela (singer) (1943–2001), German singer of Schlager songs Film and television * ''Manuela'' (1957 film), a British film directed by Guy Ha ...

* Brigade HQ and Service Company * 31st Marine Battalion (Assault Amphibian) GEN

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

* 32nd Marine Battalion ADM Luis Brión * 33rd Marine Field Artillery Battalion VADM Lino de Clemente * 34th Marine Logistics Battalion Pedro Gual 4th Marine Brigade (Amphibious) ADM Alejandro Petión * Brigade HQ and Service Company * 41st Marine Battalion (Assault Amphibian) Generalissimo Sebastian Francisco de Miranda Rodriguez * 42nd Marine Battalion RADM

Renato Beluche Renato Beluche (15 December 1780 – 4 October 1860) was an American-born Venezuelan merchant, pirate and privateer active in the early nineteenth century Gulf Coast. Born in New Orleans, Spanish Louisiana to a French smuggler, Beluche went to se ...

* 43rd Marine Field Artillery Battalion (Self-Propelled and MRL) MSHL Juan Crisostomo Falcón (new raising) * 44th Marine Logistics Battalion Ana Maria Campos 5th Marine Riverine Brigade LTCDR José Tomas Machado * Brigade HQ and Service Company * 1st Riverine Command LTGEN

Daniel Florence O'Leary Daniel Florence O'Leary ( ga, Dónall Fínín Ó Laoghaire; 14 February 1801 – 24 February 1854) was a military general and aide-de-camp under Simón Bolívar. Life O'Leary was born in Cork, Ireland; his father was Jeremiah O'Leary, a but ...

* 2nd Riverine Command GEN Ezequiel Zamora * 3rd Riverine Command Jose Maria Espana * 1st Marine Fluvial Squadron CPT Antonio Diaz * 5th Riverline Support Battalion LTJG Vicente Parado * 5th Marine Air Group LT Pedro Lucas Urribarri 6th Marine Border Riverine Brigade ADM Manuel Ezequeil Bruzual * Brigade HQ and Service Company * 5th Riverline Command RADM Jose Maria Garcia * 6th Border Riverline Command LT Jacinto Muñoz * 7th Riverine Command LT Pedro Camejo * 6th Riverine Support Battalion CDR Joaquin Quintero * 6th Marine Air Group GC Jose Gregorio Monagas 7th Marine Border Riverine Brigade MGEN Franz António Risques Irribarren * Brigade HQ and Service Company * 8th Upper Orinoco (Riverine) command VADM Armando Medina * 9th Middle Orinoco (Riverine) command VADM Francisco Pérez Hernández * 7th Marine Air Group CPT Sebastian Boguier * 7th Riverine Support Battalion COL Antonio Ricaurte (raised 2015) Each border/riverine command consists of the following: * Command headquarters, * a headquarters and service company, * a Marine Battalion, * a Maintenance company and * a Service Support company. These units have a base of operations and five naval outposts with a Marine company and no less than 6 assault and river combat speedboats each. Naval Police Command Grand Marshal of Ayacucho Antonio José de Sucre * Command HQ * Command Staff * Naval Police Training Center * 9th Naval Police Brigade ** Brigade HQ Company ** 1st Naval Police Battalion CPT Alejo Sánchez Navarro ** 2nd Naval Police Battalion RADM Matías Padrón ** 3rd Naval Police Battalion RADM Otto Pérez Seijas ** 4th Naval Police Battalion CPT Juan Daniel Daniels * Naval Police Commando Company ** Naval Police Commando Sniper Platoon * Naval Police Investigations Division * Naval Police Canine Training Unit * Naval Police Finance Division

Naval Corps of Engineers

Under the direct control of the Navy but operationally deployed with the Marine Corps 1st Naval Construction Brigade RADM José Ramón Yépez * Brigade HQ * 141st Combat Engineers Battalion LT Jerónigo Rengifo * 142nd Maintenance and Construction Battalion RADM José María García * 143rd Maintenance and Construction Battalion CPT Nicolás Jolly * 145th Maintenance and Construction Battalion LT

Pedro Camejo Pedro Camejo, also known as Negro Primero ("The First Black"), was a Venezuelan soldier that fought with the Royal Army and later with the Independence Army during the Venezuelan War of Independence, reaching the rank of lieutenant. The nickn ...

2nd Naval Construction Brigade RADM Jose Prudencio Padilla * Brigade HQ * 144th Maintenance and Construction Battalion GEN Ezequiel Zamora * 146th Maintenance and Construction Battalion CPT Agustin Armario

Arms and equipment

Naval Infantry's equipment is the same standard issue as the rest of the armed forces, excluding Special Forces armaments. Armored units and heavy equipment of the Naval Infantry is the following: Armor * 8x8 VN-1 Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier. *

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

(all delivered 2015) * NORINCO VN18 Amphibious Light Tank and VN16 Amphibious Assault APC. *

* 6x6

Engesa Engesa – Engenheiros Especializados S/A was a Brazilian company in the agriculture and defense sectors that specialized in producing tactical military trucks, armored fighting vehicles, and civilian Sport utility vehicles. Engesa began as a ...

EE-11 Urutu The EE-11 Urutu is a Brazilian amphibious armored personnel carrier. It was based on the drive train and chassis components of the EE-9 Cascavel armored car and initially emerged as part of a project to develop an amphibious troop-carrying counter ...

Amphibious Assault APC. *

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

– 38 EE-11, (3 EE-11 VCMDM3S1+3 EE-11 VRCPM3S2 +12 EE-11 VTTRM3S7 +20 EE-11 VTTRM3S6, all to be modernized) * FMC

Amphibious Assault Armored Vehicle. * US – 11 AAVT-7s, (1 AAVTC-7 +1AAVTR-7 +9AAVTP-7) Artillery and anti-aircraft batteries * SR-5. (China) * SM4 mortar. (China) *

Oto Melara OTO Melara was a subsidiary of the Italian company Finmeccanica, today Leonardo, active in the defence sector, with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. The Mod 56 pack howitzer, in service throughout the world, and the 76mm naval gun, ad ...

M-56 105/14mm towed howitzer. (Italy)- 50 * Thomson-Brandt MO-120 120mm heavy mortar. (France)- 35 * Buk-M2EK wheeled air defense missile launcher (Russia) – 10 *

Bofors AB Bofors ( , , ) is a former Swedish arms manufacturer which today is part of the British arms concern BAE Systems. The name has been associated with the iron industry and artillery manufacturing for more than 350 years. History Located ...

RBS-70 anti-aircraft battery. (Sweden)- 20 *

CAVIM , type = State-owned company , location = , industry = defense , founded = , founder = , hq_location_city = Caracas, Capital District , hq_location_country = Venezuela , num_locations = , num_locations_year = , area_served ...

M-66 Cazador mortar (Venezuela) Tactical and transport land vehicles *

Land Rover Defender The Land Rover Defender (initially introduced as the Land Rover 110 / One Ten, and in 1984 joined by the Land Rover 90 / Ninety, plus the new, extra-length Land Rover 127 in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup ...

90HT/110HT. (United Kingdom) – +500 * Ford M151. (United States) * Chevrolet M-705. (United States) * IAI M-325 Commandacar *

Tiuna The Tiuna UR-53AR50 is a Venezuelan multipurpose military vehicle, presented by CENARECA and assembled locally by Venezolana de Vehículos para la Defensa. The assembly plant is located at Fort Tiuna, Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela. The ...

(Venezuela) *

Steyr Steyr (; Central Bavarian: ''Steia'') is a statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3r ...

-MAN L-80 series, tactical transport truck (Austria) * Engesa EE-25, tactical transport truck (Brazil) Speedboats and launches * Guardian 22' patrol speedboat. (United States) * Guardian 25' patrol speedboat. (United States) Other models in service include Caroní, Manapiare, Caimán, 22 Apure/Apure II assault launches, (all designed and made in Venezuela) and US Coibas.

References

External links

Official website of the Marine Corps
{{Use dmy dates, date=August 2019 Marines Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela