In Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro has recently led multiple military promotion ceremonies within the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB), including the Guard of Honor and the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM). Maduro emphasized the importance of the FANB being well-armed with advanced technology to defend the nation, describing the military as a powerful and united force created by Hugo Chávez. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has criticized the military's role, urging the FANB to uphold the mandate of the July 28 elections and warning that failure to do so makes them complicit in constitutional violations. Machado also declared that the Maduro regime would eventually fall and called on the military to choose between submission or taking a stand for justice. Edmundo González, the president-elect of Venezuela, has reiterated efforts to enforce the popular will expressed in the July 28 elections and emphasized national unity toward this goal. The July 28 municipal elections saw a boycott by the opposition, resulting in the ruling party securing approximately 85% of the mayoralties, a fact recognized by various Venezuelan officials including Jorge Rodríguez, who described the outcome as a political transformation and a rejection of extremist opposition. Machado expressed solidarity with former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe amid judicial decisions against him, highlighting the interconnectedness of peace and freedom in Colombia and Venezuela. The political climate remains tense with ongoing calls from opposition figures to challenge Maduro's rule and assertions from the government about maintaining order and unity.