Venezuelan Army

The Venezuelan Army, officially the Bolivarian Army of Venezuela (Spanish: Ejército Bolivariano), is the land arm of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela. Also known as Bolivarian Army (Ejército Bolivariano, EB), its role is to be responsible for land-based operations against external or internal threats that may put the sovereignty of the nation at risk. The army is the second largest military branch of Venezuela after the Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana, MB).

Its current commander is Major General Domingo Antonio Hernández Lárez. The army depends directly on the Ministry of Popular Power for Defense, under the orders of the general commander and the president of the Republic in his position as commander in chief of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces. It is divided into six combat arms and four commands; operations, logistics, education and Army Aviation.

The command officers, troop officers, technicians and military surgeons belonging to the Venezuelan Army are graduates of the military academies of the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela and are commissioned with the rank of Second Lieutenant, the academies are as follows:

• Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army,
• Military Academy of Troop Officers C-in-C Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías,
• Bolivarian Military Technical Academy,
• Military Academy of Health Sciences

Unlike most of the officer corps the sergeants (professional NCOs) and recruits completing basic training, as well as Army officer candidates of civilian background, study in separate schools.

The Venezuelan Army marks its birth by its victory in the Battle of Carabobo on 24 June 1821 over the Empire of Spain, which led to the independence of the nation. It later contributed to the independence of the present-day countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Bolivia.