Armed militias deployed in Venezuela as regime attempts to impose authority
Source: The Guardian
Venezuelas rulers have deployed armed militias to patrol streets, operate checkpoints and check peoples phones in a crackdown to consolidate authority after the US attack on Caracas.
Paramilitary groups known as colectivos criss-crossed the capital with motorbikes and assault rifles on Tuesday in a show of force to stifle any dissent or perception of a power vacuum.
The patrols stopped and searched cars and demanded access to peoples phones to check their contacts, messages and social media posts in a stark demonstration to the population that the regime remained in charge despite the abduction of president Nicolás Maduro...
Gunfire erupted on Monday night when security forces shot at unauthorised drones which reportedly were mistaken for another US operation. There was no confrontation, the entire country remains completely calm, Simon Arrechider, the deputy information minister, told reporters.
But it is a tense calm.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/07/caracas-venezuela-paramilitary-groups
more varied information at non paywall link...
https://archive.ph/vbLJd
ananda
(34,461 posts)Trump-Rodriguez?
ancianita
(42,910 posts)though the powers behind Cabello are the same as those behind Maduro.
ananda
(34,461 posts)Who is Cabello?
ancianita
(42,910 posts)He's probably watching his back, hoping that Rodriguez' govt won't go after him, since the article later says
We'll see what happens.
Fichefinder
(399 posts)ancianita
(42,910 posts)Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has stated that the government of Venezuela runs the country and there are no external agents governing it, despite President Trump's claim that the U.S. would "run" Venezuela.
Rodriguez asserted that no external agents are governing Venezuela and that the state structures, including security and judicial institutions, remain intact and under its command. She named General Gustavo Enrique González López, the former head of the intelligence service (SEBIN), as the commander of the Presidential Honor Guard.
Rodriguez has been officially backed by the Venezuelan military and presided over the swearing-in of a new National Assembly composed largely of government loyalists.
January 4, 2026, she hosted her first Council of Ministers meeting to ensure "administrative continuity and national sovereignty".
She's gets Trump's and other international attention because she's leveraging her experience as Petroleum Minister, and has maintained close contact with foreign oil companies like Chevron to stabilize production.
She's continued the orthodox economic policies she implemented as Vice President, such as cutting public spending and fixing the dollar-bolivar exchange rate, to manage inflation.
It seems to me that it's true that various criminal organizations and armed "colectivos" -- armed government-aligned civilian groups -- operate across large parts of the territory, including within the capital, more to keep the population a bit on edge so that Rodriguez can appear to be the calming force.
Bayard
(28,647 posts)Everything he touches dies.
Sounds like the Venezuelan version of ICE has taken over.
ancianita
(42,910 posts)Not so sure about thinking the colectivos are like ICE since they're not any official govt entity. They can be used to help their unknown funders only (they could be fossil fuel bosses who don't want competition from U.S. based fossil companies).
So far it doesn't look like the felon's got any fossil fuel entities in the states who like the situation there enough to bother building pumping or refineries and so set up new oil supply lines, so I'm guessing that Rodriguez is likely out to control how much the felon can get of any cut from Chevron and/or other rich companies that are already in Venezuela. I'd like to believe she'll also try to diversify other sectors of the economy to help Venezuelans have a reason to stay. Things are still pretty fluid, so all this is obviously just my opinion.