Comprehensive National Defense Law of Venezuela
Chapter II
Comprehensive Defense of the Nation
Size of the overall defense of the Nation
Rule 15.
The Comprehensive Defense of the Nation covers the territory and other geographical spaces of the Republic, citizens, and foreigners who are in it. Also referred to are Venezuelans and assets outside of the nation belonging to the Republic.
Competition between public authorities
Article 16.
In terms of security, defense, and development, it is considered essential to ensure the definition and comprehensive policy management through the coordinated actions of national public authorities, state and municipal governments, whose guiding principles are territorial integrity, cooperation, solidarity, attendance, and shared responsibility, for the purpose of carrying out such policies in harmony at various levels and instances of public power.
Quality of life
Article 17.
The quality of life of citizens is a key objective for the Venezuelan State, which, together with private initiative, promotes national, state, and municipal integrated development that is sustainable, productive, and enduring to ensure the participation of society and thus provide the greatest good to the people.
Internal Order
Article 18.
The State guarantees the preservation of internal order, understood as the state in which justice is administered and reinforces the values and principles enshrined in the Constitution and laws, by the estimates and actions to ensure compliance with duties and enjoyment of the rights and guarantees of citizens.
Foreign policy
Article 19.
The foreign policy of the Venezuelan State is essential and consistent with the plans of the Republic. Its projection to the international community is mainly based on self-determination, solidarity, and cooperation among peoples, promoting and fostering integration in line with the integral development of the nation.
National Armed Forces
Article 20.
The National Armed Forces are one of the key elements in the overall defense of the nation, organized by the State to conduct its military defense responsibility to society. Its components, in their respective fields of action, have a responsibility to the planning, execution, and control of military operations for the purpose of guaranteeing the independence and sovereignty of the nation, ensuring the integrity of the territory and other geographical spaces of the Republic, and cooperating in maintaining internal order. The laws shall determine the participation of the national armed forces in the development of the nation.
Development of technology and defense industry
Article 21.
The State encourages public and private initiatives in developing technology and the defense industry, with no limitations other than those provided in the Constitution and laws, to strengthen national power. For such purposes, it establishes partnerships and strategic alliances with other states and national and international companies.
War material and other weapons
Rule 22.
The war material and other weapons, ammunition, explosives, and related materials shall be regulated and supervised by the National Executive through the National Armed Forces in accordance with the pertinent law and regulations.
Public security organs
Article 23.
According to the provisions of the constitution and laws, the national executive body will organize a uniformed national police force, a corps of scientific investigations (criminal and criminology), a fire brigade, and a civil protection organization that will respond to emergencies and disasters, which, without prejudice to the specific tasks assigned to them, must work together to ensure the preservation of internal order.
Civil Protection System
Article 24.
The Civil Protection System shall be understood as social risk management in which different public bodies act at the national, state, and municipal levels, with the participation of society, and extends from state planning to specific processes to reduce vulnerability to events of the natural order, technical, and social.
Social risk management
Article 25.
The office of risk management includes the objectives, programs, and actions within the planning and development process of the Nation and is intended to ensure the quality of life of citizens, promoting the development of prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery aspects of events in the natural order (technical and social) that can affect people, property, and the environment at national, state, and municipal levels.
National Intelligence and Counterintelligence
Article 26.
National Intelligence and Counterintelligence means processing all activities, information, and documents produced in the public and private sectors at national and international levels, which, by their nature and impact, are vitally important for determining the vulnerabilities or strengths, both internal and external, that affect the safety of the nation. The pertinent law shall regulate with regard to their organization and operation.
Classification of activities, information, and documents
Article 27.
The activities, information, and documents from the planning and execution of activities or operations relating to the security and defense of the Nation, obtained by National Intelligence and Counter Intelligence, will be grouped according to the nature of their content, classified and unclassified. The classifieds will be governed by the pertinent law, and the unclassified will be freely available.
Chapter III
Of Mobilization and Requisition
Mobilization
Article 28.
Mobilization, for the purposes of this Act, is the set of forecasts and preparatory and executive actions designed to organize the existing potential and turn it into national power, covering all sectors of the nation (public and private), to make effective, harmonious, and timely transitions from ordinary to extraordinary situations.
Legal origin mobilization
Article 29.
Having proclaimed a state of emergency, the President of the Republic may order the total or partial mobilization in any of the areas established by the Constitution and the laws, in whole or in part of the territory. The mobilization of the National Armed Forces shall be subject to the provisions laid down by the law, without having to declare a state of emergency. The relevant regulations shall determine the necessary measures for preparing, mobilizing, efficiently applying national power, and demobilizing.
Mobilization authority
Article 30.
The President of the Republic is the highest political and administrative authority directing the mobilization and will be assisted in this activity by the Council of National Defense, the ministries, and other agencies involved.
Mobilization plans
Article 31.
The ministries and other specialized agencies are responsible for developing and implementing mobilization plans according to their competencies and the guidelines issued by the President of the Republic. The expenditures resulting from mobilization are considered inherent to the security and defense of the Nation. The President of the Republic shall take measures to create conditions conducive to bringing the expenditure budget to the exceptional circumstances following the law.
Public services and basic industries of the State
Article 32.
The President of the Republic may provide for using the national armed forces to assist in monitoring and operating public services or basic industries of the State for the economic and social life of the republic. Similarly, staff may require such services or businesses to be temporarily under the military regime if a state of emergency has been declared.
Requisitions
Article 33.
Having decreed the mobilization, the President of the Republic may order the requisition of goods necessary for national defense following the provisions of the relevant Regulations.