At a year-end ceremony for Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces, FANB, President Nicolas Maduro highlighted the armed forces’ victories in the last year, adding that in 2018 a “popular defense system for peace” will be launched.

In the last year, Maduro pressed, the forces fully developed their training and operations plan throughout the country, conducting 236 military operations.The country’s defense system, he added, continues to stand against the aggression it faces from the United States.

"The year 2017 was the year of threats of violence and aggression that our country (has never faced) before … a victim of aggression of the right financed by imperialism, like the ones we saw this year with the guarimbas (opposition violence)," he declared.

"The year 2018 will be the year of all victories, of all truths, it will be the year of the Popular Defensive System for #Peace". Pdte. @NicolasMaduro

The head of state made reference to the violence seen in April, May and June of this year, fuelled by the protests of the right-wing opposition, saying the period had been "the most perverse that has been seen in generations, in which they called to burn people alive just because of their social condition and their skin color."

"#FACT 236 Military Operations were developed throughout the country in 2017. Let's prepare ourselves to continue to permanently develop our military operations to guarantee the defense and Peace of the Fatherland. Pdte. @NicolasMaduro"

He added that this violence was "financed by the United States.”

Still, the Venezuelan president stated, the country was able to triumph “over the oligarchic guarimbas ”, saying, “it was the year of the popular union of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, of the peasant workers, of the workers ... A year of victory for peace.”

Still, he warned, U.S. imperialism and the government of U.S. President Donald Trump are still attempting “to bring down the Bolivarian Revolution."

As such, he called on the Venezuelan people to not back down and continue to resist this aggression. “We cannot lower our guard!” Maduro stressed.