Rebellion in the middle ranks of the National Guard has been contained by intimidation and threats of reprisals against officers' families, the deserters told Reuters. They said phones of military personnel suspected of anti-Maduro sympathies were tapped to watch their behavior.
With desertions on the rise and dwindling support for Maduro, the government has used armed groups of civilians known as "colectivos" to terrorize Maduro opponents, the interviewees said. Rights groups in Venezuela have warned of rising violence meted out by the militant groups.
The government has also released jail inmates and put them in National Guard uniforms, to the disgust of soldiers with years of military career behind them, the six deserters said. It is unclear if the former inmates or militants are paid by the government.
A lack of food, water and medicines, along with extended blackouts, have added to a sense of anarchy, the deserters said.
The uniformed sergeant said he feared bloodshed at the hands of the "colectivos" trying to keep Maduro in power if the armed forces balked at government orders to repress protests.
"There won't be enough soldiers left with hearts of stone to fire on the people," he said. "We military know that among the crowds on the streets there are relatives of ours protesting for freedom and a better future for Venezuela."
