Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes a joint-service Aerospace Defense Command (Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral, CODAI); Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB); Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana, NMB)
Bolivarian National Police: Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES) (2020)
note(s): the CODAI is a joint service command with personnel drawn from other services; the FAES police paramilitary unit was created by President MADURO after the 2017 anti-government protests to fight crime; it has been accused of multiple human rights abuses
the Guyana Defense Force is a unified service with an Army, Air Corps, Coast Guard, Guyana People's Militia (reserves) (2020)
Military service age and obligation
18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; all citizens of military service age (18-50 years old) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training, although "forcible recruitment" is forbidden (2019)
limited information; 18 years of age or older for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.4% of GDP (2017)
0.5% of GDP (2016)
0.9% of GDP (2015)
1.1% of GDP (2014)
1.6% of GDP (2013)
1.7% of GDP (2019)
1.6% of GDP (2018)
1.6% of GDP (2017)
1.5% of GDP (2016)
1.4% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard (2021)
note - at the end of 2018, the Venezuelan Government claimed the Bolivarian Militia had 1.6 million members, but most reportedly have little to no military training
the Guyana Defense Force has approximately 3,000 active personnel (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the FANB inventory is mainly of Chinese and Russian origin with a smaller mix of equipment from Western countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US; since 2010, Russia is by far the top supplier of military hardware to Venezuela, followed by China, Spain, and Ukraine (2020)
the Guyana Defense Force's limited inventory is mostly comprised of second-hand platforms from a variety of foreign suppliers, including Brazil, China, the former Soviet Union, the UK, and the US; since 2000, Guyana has received small amounts of military equipment from Brazil, China, and the UK (2020)
