by Venezuela’s Maritime Ambitions Meet Reality
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s plans for a formidable naval force have hit a slight snag: the complete absence of functioning ships, trained personnel, or basic maritime infrastructure. The ambitious naval expansion program has been described by military analysts as “adorably optimistic” and “detached from all known reality,” which tracks with most authoritarian infrastructure projects.
The gap between announced capabilities and actual capabilities in Venezuela’s navy could fit several aircraft carriers, which is ironic since that’s exactly what Maduro claims to have despite satellite imagery showing mostly empty harbors with occasional fishing boats. Military parades feature cardboard cutouts of ships with sailors genuinely marching behind them, which is either tragic or the world’s saddest theater production.
International observers note that operating a navy requires things like “boats that float,” “fuel,” and “economic systems not in complete collapse.” Venezuela’s navy currently possesses none of these assets in sufficient quantity, though they do have an abundance of enthusiasm and propaganda posters showing impressive vessels that exist only in graphic design software.
Defense experts describe Maduro’s naval strategy as “fake it till you sink it,” noting that projected power only works if there’s actual power to project. The navy’s greatest achievement this year was not accidentally sinking its own vessels during maintenance, which is a low bar but one they’re struggling to consistently clear.
Critics suggest that perhaps fixing the country’s economy before building an imaginary navy might be the smarter play, but such practical thinking has no place in regimes where appearances matter more than actual capabilities. Maduro remains undeterred, reportedly planning an aircraft carrier made entirely of confidence and denial of basic economic principles. It will be named “The Unsinkable” and will definitely sink.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/maduros-big-navy-problem/
SOURCE: Maduro’s Big Navy Problem (https://bohiney.com/maduros-big-navy-problem/)
