Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez
Photo by PEDRO MATTEY/AFP via Getty Images
The Venezuelan army posted a video showing soldiers handing out guns and rifles to civilians as the U.S. continues to escalate pressure against the Maduro regime.
"The integral defense of the country is our constitutional duty," reads the video's caption, which shows soldiers taking guns from a truck and then giving them to people lined up before a table outdoors.
Venezuela arming pro-government supporters. pic.twitter.com/ujccpfBvdS
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 23, 2025
The development comes as Donald Trump and Nicolas Maduro continue trading barbs as the former seeks to remove the latter from power.
Maduro took aim at Trump on Monday after the latter said he should leave. During a speech broadcast on public television, Maduro said Trump "would be better off in his own country on economic and social issues, and he would be better off in the world if he took care of his country's affairs."
Trump, on his end, said that it would be "smart" for Maduro to leave power, warning that if he "plays tough," it will "be the last time he's ever able to play tough."
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump was asked if the end goal of his military campaign in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, which has included dozens of strikes against alleged drug vessels and more recently the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela, is forcing Maduro from power.
"That's up to him what he wants to do. I think it would be smart for him to do that. But again, we're going to find out," Trump responded.
The remark took place shortly after analysts told The Washington Post that Trump will be faced with a binary choice should he fail to force Maduro out with his current tactic.
That choice would be between forcibly removing him through a military ground operation or backing down, the analysts told the outlet, noting that the prospect of the former scenario could be unappealing for many in the U.S., as well as Trump, who had promised no more wars during his campaign.
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Tags: Venezuela, Army, United States