Today, in any Venezuelan city, one might suddenly see a military convoy carrying equipment and weapons generally only seen during national celebrations such as June 24 or July 5. Yet what stands out most is not the vehicles or the weaponry, but the people operating and accompanying them: a diverse mix of soldiers and civilians.

This is not the classic mobilization of professional troops or conscripts seen in most parades or training maneuvers. Alongside the officers and enlisted personnel march militia members—civilians with some military training—as well as recently enlisted citizens, many of them still in civilian clothes, experiencing for the first time what it is like to ride in a combat vehicle or a Chinese-made Beiben 6×6 truck.

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