Venezuela has elevated its military alert level and activated what Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López called a “higher phase” of Plan Independence 200, a nationwide defence operation ordered by President Nicolás Maduro.

The plan involves “full operational readiness” across all branches of the armed forces and includes the mobilisation of “land, air, naval, riverine, and missile assets,” as well as the Bolivarian Militia and civilian security forces. The measure, named "Law of the Command for the Integral Defence of the Nation", aligns with the Chavista regime's push for what it describes as “perfect civic-military-police integration” in response to the perceived threat of US aggression.

In public remarks, Maduro declared that Venezuela “has truth and reason on our side,” and that “we are on the right side of history.”

The decision comes as the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the US Navy, arrived in Latin America earlier this week. The Pentagon said the deployment aims to “disrupt narcotics trafficking and dismantle transnational criminal organisations,” following at least 19 US operations in the region that have left 76 people dead. However, analysts believe the Navy buildup in the Caribbean far exceeds what is needed for counter-narcotics operations and is ultimately aimed at driving Maduro from power.

President Donald Trump has denied plans for imminent strikes inside Venezuela but has previously floated the possibility of “precision kinetic strikes” against alleged drug trafficking and military targets. Former US Admiral Jim Stavridis said any campaign could begin with attacks on airfields or ports used for drug shipments, adding that Washington’s pressure strategy might seek to convince Maduro “that his days are numbered”, The Washington Post reported.

Analysts say Venezuela’s armed forces, though weakened, remain equipped with advanced weapons such as Russian-made S-300VM air defences. Yet many doubt they could withstand a direct US intervention.

Maduro, meanwhile, has called on supporters to prepare for “a general, insurrectionary, and revolutionary strike” if Venezuela is attacked. The ruling Socialist Party has also pledged to move to “an armed phase of the revolutionary process” akin to a guerrilla-style resistance should hostilities erupt.

Despite repeated warnings of possible US action, the domestic situation remains stable. According to diplomatic reports cited by El Pais, Maduro’s military and political base appears cohesive, with little sign that an external attack would fracture the armed forces’ loyalty to his government.

In related developments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on November 11 dismissed reports that Venezuela had requested military assistance from Moscow amid rising tensions with the United States.

“No, we have not received any such request,” Lavrov told reporters, adding that both nations had signed a strategic partnership treaty in May that remains in the “final stage of ratification.” Venezuela, along with Cuba and Nicaragua, is the closest Russian ally in the region.

Earlier reports, corroborated by statements from Russian lawmakers, suggested Caracas had sought support from the Kremlin to bolster its air defences with missile systems, radar equipment, and refurbished Su-30MK2 aircraft, though neither government has confirmed this.