Venezuelan National Militia

The Venezuelan National Militia is a component of the Military of Venezuela.

History
It is the most ancient defense force of the nation, the first source that can be found is in the indigenous resistance groups (mainly of Caribbean civilization, and their descendants, who won the reputation of being courageous, cunning and daring) during the 16th, 17th and 18th century, they fought against the Spanish colonial domination. However, on July 13, 1797, two militiamen, Manuel Gaul and Jose Maria Espalier, rebelled against Spain. The conspiracy of Gaul and Espalier with the participation of all classes of colonial society, was the first movement with popular roots. Then in the first half of the 19th century, groups of peasants joined the libertarian cause, becoming auxiliaries trained in the Liberation Army by soldiers and officers moderately or highly trained academically. Already in the second half of the 19th century, the militias appeared, usually Moonstone groups that united with local warlords in the provinces, and surroundings for their protection, this was regulated by militia laws. It took about 100 years to return to the figure of the Reserves, as autonomous and auxiliary forces of the remaining components.

Organization
The General Command of the National Militia is divided in two parts:

1. The National Reserve, consisting of all Venezuelan citizens who are not in active military service, or have completed military service, or who voluntarily join the reserve units.

2. The Territorial Guard, consisting of all Venezuelan citizens who voluntarily serve to organize local resistance to any external aggression.

At the moment the General Command of the National Militia, is organized on the basis of nine (09) Reserve groupings, present throughout the national territory, and a dozen of Special Resistance Corps (grouped around workers contingents of enterprises and national institutions). It is an autonomous and auxiliary force for the remaining branches of the FAN. It can be estimated at the present time about 400,000 men and women are on various training levels, but the target of its authorities is to reach 1,100,000 full-time militia personnel. The Commander of the National Militia is Major General Gustavo Enrique Gonzalez Lopez.