 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2013) |
| Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela | |
|---|---|
| Guardia Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela | |
 National Guard emblem | |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Country |  Venezuela |
| Branch | National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela |
| Type | Military police |
| Role | Gendarmerie, forestry protection, civil defense, public order and safety, border control, highway security, coastal security |
| Size | 23,000 |
| Part of | Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior and Justice |
| Nickname(s) | Spanish: Centinelas Permanentes de la Patria The Fatherland's Permanent Sentries |
| Patron | Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá |
| Motto(s) | Spanish: El honor es su divisa Honor is its emblem |
| Colors | Maroon |
| Anniversaries | August 4, National Guard Day |
| Commanders | |
| Minister of Defense | Major General Vladimir Padrino López |
| Commanding General of the National Guard | Major General Elio Ramón Estrada Paredes[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
The Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela (Spanish: Guardia Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela - GNB), is a gendarmerie component of the National Armed Forces of Venezuela. The national guard can serve as gendarmerie, perform civil defense roles, or serve as a reserve light infantry force. The national guard was founded on 4 August 1937 by the then President of the Republic, General-in-Chief Eleazar López Contreras. The motto of the GNB is "El Honor es su divisa" ("Honor is its emblem"), slightly different from the motto of the Spanish Civil Guard "El Honor es mi divisa" ("Honor is my emblem").
The branch is recognized for its human rights violations under the Bolivarian government and its alleged involvement in international drug trafficking through the Cartel of the Suns.[2]
- ^ "Nicolás Maduro designó a Elio Estrada como nuevo comandante general de la GNB".
- ^ Venezuela: A Mafia State?. Medellin, Colombia: InSight Crime. 2018. pp. 3–84.