page_title: Venezuelan National Guard
section_title: Uniforms and equipment
hierarchical_section_title: Venezuelan National Guard / Uniforms and equipment
caption_attribution_description: English: Venezuelan National Guardsmen taking positions. Español: Guardias Nacionales venezolanos tomando posiciones.
context_page_description: The Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela, also called the Armed Forces of Cooperation, is one of the four components 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", different from the motto of the Spanish Civil Guard.
  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.
context_section_description: The GNB have the same rank insignia and uniforms as the Venezuelan Army. However, the GNB normally wears a maroon beret instead of the Army's black berets.
  The GNB is equipped as a light infantry force, with the standard-issued weapon being the FN FAL battle rifle (being replaced with the AK-103). It is also equipped with Light Machine-Guns, and mortars up to 81mm.
  It possesses over forty Unimog UR-416 wheeled armored personnel carriers and Walther G22 on airports.  It acquired 141 Chinese Norinco VN-4 4x4 wheeled armored vehicles in 2012, and 50 in 2013. In 2014, during the 2014 Venezuelan protests, the Venezuelan government order 300 more VN-4 vehicles. In July 2013, it ordered Chinese Type 63A light tanks. Austrian and Japanese vehicles are also used.
  The Beretta Px4 9x19mm is the sidearm of the National Guard.
  The GNB also employs eighty small craft for coastal and river patrol duties as part of its Naval Coastal Vigilance Command.
  The Air National Guard Command operates over 50 fixed-wing light aircraft and helicopters.
caption: During 2014 protests
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