Venezuela Defeated Foreign Interference in the 'Bridges Battle'

On Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro recalled that this 23rd of February marks the fifth anniversary of the so-called "Battle of the Bridges," an action through which the Bolivarian people defended peace and national sovereignty.

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"We commemorate 5 years since the victory of the Venezuelan people in the 'Battle of the Bridges,' a confrontation that took place on the Colombia-Venezuela border," he said.

"Over there, the invincible Bolivarian civic-military-police union defeated the invasion plan orchestrated by imperialism and its regional accomplices," he added.

In February 2019, the Venezuelan far-right, led by former legislator Juan Guaido, launched a campaign to invade this South American country, using as a pretext the entry of alleged food caravans provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The text reads, "Today, on February 23, Venezuela commemorates 5 years of the Battle of the Bridges, where the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, accompanied by its people, defended the country's peace and sovereignty, when a group of fascists tried to violently enter our sacred territory from Colombia. We will continue victorious and with our forces intact, shouting: No One Surrenders Here! Always Loyal, Never Traitors!"

Perpetrated during Donald Trump's presidency, this destabilization attempt had the support of then-presidents Sebastian Piñera (Chile), Ivan Duque (Colombia), and Mario Abdo (Paraguay).

The U.S.-backed activists attempted to enter Venezuela through the Simon Bolivar bridge on the Colombia-Venezuela border and the Santa Elena de Uairen area near Brazil.

To support this maneuver, the governments of the U.S. and Colombia hired mercenaries, including members of the Aragua Train, recalled Freddy Bernal, the Tachira governor.

However, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), revolutionaries of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and the inhabitants of Tachira jointly prevented the entry of U.S.-backed extremists into the country.