Venezuela’s interim President Delcy rodríguez is consolidating power following the U.S.-backed capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. In a significant personnel shift announced Friday,Rodríguez removed Alex Saab,a former Maduro ally,from his post as Minister of Industries and National Production [[1]].The move signals a continued restructuring of the Venezuelan government as it seeks to navigate a new relationship with the United States and address ongoing political and economic instability.
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez has removed Alex Saab, a close ally of ousted President Nicolás Maduro, from his position as Minister of Industries and National Production. The move comes as the country navigates a period of significant political upheaval following a U.S. military operation and Maduro’s subsequent capture.
The dismissal, announced Friday on Telegram, is linked to plans to merge the Ministry of Industries and National Production with the Ministry of National Commerce, according to Rodríguez. Luis Antonio Villegas, previously the Minister of National Commerce since his appointment by Maduro in February 2024, will lead the newly combined entity.
“I thank my colleague Alex Saab for the services rendered to the nation; he will now assume new responsibilities,” Delcy Rodríguez said of Saab, who was born in Colombia.
Saab’s journey has been marked by legal battles and international intrigue. He was initially arrested in Cabo Verde in 2020 and later extradited to the United States, where he faced accusations of orchestrating a scheme to divert food aid intended for the Venezuelan people. However, U.S. courts dismissed the charges against him in March 2024.
In December 2023, Saab was exchanged for ten Americans who had been detained in Venezuela, following a pardon granted by then-U.S. President Joe Biden. He was subsequently appointed Minister of Industry in December 2024, having previously served as president of Venezuela’s International Center for Productive Investment.
The personnel changes extended beyond the Ministry of Industries. Rodríguez also named three new ministers to lead the portfolios of Communication and Information, Transportation, and Eco-socialism. Vice Admiral Aníbal Coronado will head the Transportation Ministry, while Freddy Ñáñez will focus on environmental protection policies, including the preservation of “Mother Earth” (Pachamama). Philosopher and writer Miguel Pérez Pirela was appointed Minister for Communication and Information, with Rodríguez stating his “academic training, experience and conviction will continue to strengthen the fight for communication in defense of the truth in Venezuela.”
These changes come as Rodríguez, who assumed the interim presidency after the January 3rd military operation by U.S. forces that led to Maduro’s capture, has initiated an “exploratory” process to re-establish relations with the United States. The development underscores the interim government’s efforts to navigate a complex geopolitical landscape.
The interim government, which former U.S. President Trump claims is under Washington’s protection, has agreed to send millions of barrels of crude oil to the U.S. for sale and has opened the country’s oil industry to foreign investment with the support of the Republican executive.
On January 3, U.S. military forces attacked Caracas and surrounding areas, capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were subsequently transported to New York to face trial on charges related to narcoterrorism. Rodríguez was appointed interim president two days later by order of the Supreme Court of Justice.
