At the center of international developments is its president, Nicolas Maduro, after his arrest by American forces. Washington, which for months has accused him of involvement in drug cartels and serious crimes, had stepped up pressure for his removal from power, amid a political crisis and international tension surrounding the Caracas regime.
Maduro was born into a working-class family on November 23, 1962, and is the son of a trade union leader. He worked as a bus driver when army officer Hugo Chavez led a failed coup attempt in 1992.
He then spearheaded the campaign to release Chávez and became a staunch supporter of his leftist political agenda, winning a seat in parliament after Chávez won the 1998 election.
He gradually rose to the top of the political hierarchy, assuming the presidency of the National Assembly and then the office of foreign minister, traveling internationally to build alliances through aid programs funded by oil revenues.
His election
Chávez personally nominated him as his successor and, after his death, Maduro was narrowly elected president in 2013. His rule has been marked by a spectacular economic collapse, with hyperinflation and chronic shortages, while his rule has been dogged by allegations of rigged elections, food shortages and serious human rights abuses, including violent crackdowns demonstrations in 2014 and 2017.
Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country. His government was faced with harsh sanctions from the US and other countries, .
He was sworn in for a third term in January 2025, following 2024 elections that were widely condemned by international observers and the opposition as rigged, resulting in thousands of protesters being jailed. At the same time, a recent report by a UN fact-finding mission concluded that the Bolivarian National Guard had committed serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity against political opponents for years, often with complete impunity, while the government’s repressive practices were further highlighted by the .
