Venezuela Prepares Guerrilla War Plan as Deterrent Against Possible U.S. Attack

What Happened

Venezuela’s military is preparing for an all-out guerrilla resistance campaign in the event of a U.S. military invasion, according to planning documents and officials close to the situation. Facing an overwhelming disadvantage in firepower, training, and logistics, the country’s defense strategy now hinges on asymmetric warfare. It is designed to prolong a conflict and increase the cost of foreign intervention.

Rather than plan for a conventional war they know they would lose, Venezuelan commanders have mapped out a resistance strategy that would deploy tens of thousands of regular troops and loyalist militia fighters across hundreds of hidden locations throughout the country. These units would rely on sabotage, ambushes, and chaos in urban areas to bog down U.S. forces. They would also stretch American resources to their limit.

The plan is not just military in nature. It is also political. With Russia’s support waning and U.S. pressure increasing, the Venezuelan regime is turning its military weakness into a deterrence strategy. By preparing for a protracted guerrilla war, they aim to make any future intervention seem costly, complex, and drawn-out.

Why It Matters

This represents a major shift in how Venezuela’s military perceives its role. Once focused on internal suppression and protecting the Maduro regime from domestic threats, it is now positioning itself as a resistance force ready to fight a foreign enemy on home soil.

The success of this strategy is rooted in realism. Venezuelan officials acknowledge their forces are under-equipped and underpaid. Soldiers often earn the equivalent of $100 a month. Most of their weapons are aging Russian gear and supply chains are fragile. In a direct confrontation, the U.S. military would easily overpower them.

But guerrilla warfare changes the equation. By leveraging its terrain and population as assets, Venezuela aims to turn any potential invasion into a drawn-out mess. This echoes playbooks from other countries that have fought stronger powers using hit-and-run tactics, local knowledge, and decentralized command.

More than 60,000 regular troops would be deployed in small, flexible units. They would operate with support from civilian militias trained in basic sabotage and street-level disruption. In addition to rural ambushes, part of the plan includes stoking unrest in cities. This would turn urban environments into battlegrounds filled with unpredictable threats.

How It Affects You

If you are in the U.S., this development does not mean immediate war. But it does raise the stakes of America’s approach to Venezuela. Calls for regime change or pressure campaigns may now come with a clear warning. Any intervention will not be clean, fast, or bloodless.

For Americans stationed in Latin America or traveling through the region, rising tensions could increase instability, especially near Venezuela’s borders. Spillover effects, such as refugee waves, black market arms flows, and economic disruption, are likely to occur if any real conflict ignites.

Furthermore, Washington must now consider that future actions against Venezuela would not just topple a regime. They could ignite a years-long insurgency. That is a different calculation from past intervention models.

From Caracas’s point of view, this is a show of resolve. From Washington’s, it is a reminder that military dominance does not always guarantee quick victories. The cost of war, even against a struggling country, can still be high.